Phone: 604-435-0323 | Email: info@cnh.bc.ca

Category: Staff Highlights

  • Thomas Wong: 25 years of ‘extraordinary compassion’ at CNH

    Thomas Wong: 25 years of ‘extraordinary compassion’ at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    This year, we recognize and celebrate Thomas Wong for 25 years of service. Here’s what Jenny Shen, Navigation & Peer Support, Walking Club & Tech Support Program Manager, had to say about Thomas:

    A remarkable individual, Thomas Wong, also known as Master Thomas, has been an integral part of CNH for more than 25 years.

    Thomas is a master in many areas. From Qi Gong to Tai Chi, Tai Chi Sword to Chinese calligraphy, he’s a seasoned instructor. Did you know he was already a black belt in karate in his early twenties? But what sets Thomas apart is his extraordinary compassion towards his students. He knows each of them and always takes care of those who are vulnerable or have special needs. His classes are so popular that, to this day, at the age of 75, he holds the record for running the most classes at CNH.

    If you stroll outside of the main CNH building, you will come across a bench with four elegant Chinese characters: Spring, summer, autumn and winter, painted by Thomas. It conveys a profound pearl of wisdom: Our lives, like the changing seasons, have their own unique beauty.

    Thank you, Thomas, for sharing your talents, wisdom, and beautiful spirit with us for 25 incredible years. We look forward to many more seasons of inspiration and growth with you.

    To learn about current career opportunities at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

  • Walda Gorn: 25 years in child care at CNH

    Walda Gorn: 25 years in child care at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    This year, we recognize and celebrate Walda Gorn for 25 years of service. Here’s what Diana Taykandy, Operations Child Care Program Manager, had to say about Walda:

    Walda began her journey at CNH just over 25 years ago. In 1997, she started as a practicum student in our preschool program. Once she completed her Early Childhood Educator (ECE) coursework, she returned to CNH to complete 500 hours of volunteer work to obtain her license to practice in childcare. At this time, Walda volunteered in both of our preschool and infant/toddler programs.

    Eventually, a part-time position became available in our infant/toddler centre and Walda applied. With her experience at CNH, it was no surprise she was hired for the role. Shortly after, a full-time position opened with our childcare team and for years, Walda worked happily in the infant/toddler program, learning, growing and always caring for our under-threes. Over time, it became clear that Walda was continuously willing to learn, discover and improve her programs. She was also keen on honing her own skills and knowledge in the industry.

    In 2013, Walda became a program coordinator at CNH and that’s where we still find her. We are so fortunate that Walda did all her early learnings with us. Today, Walda works with eight educators in the infant/toddler program, most of whom have been working together for many years. Needless to say, a team working together as long as they have, share a special connection.

    When asked what made Walda stay with us for so many years, her initial response was that she loved the team she worked with. Ultimately, Walda says she felt (and still feels) that CNH is her place. Walda also lives nearby and has been a part of the local community for a long time. In fact, Walda’s family has spent time helping in both our infant/toddler program and CNH as well. Walda’s husband, for example, has supported our childcare centres by doing odd jobs, such as painting, pressure washing and building furniture. Additionally, he has always been a huge support to Walda, who in turn is always looking out for the very best in her programs.

    Walda is dedicated and self-motivated, which is only part of what makes her the special person she is today. It has been a pleasure working with her all these years and we look forward to many more. (We are not kidding, Walda says her future plans are to continue working at CNH.)

    Thank you, Walda, for all that you do every day. We are so fortunate to have had your entire career take place at CNH!

    To learn about current career opportunities at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

  • Julie Cheng celebrates 25-year journey of art, literacy and community news at CNH

    Julie Cheng celebrates 25-year journey of art, literacy and community news at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    This year, we recognize and celebrate Julie Cheng for 25 years of service. Here’s what Jennifer Gray-Grant, Executive Director of CNH, had to say about Julie:

    Around the time I met Julie, I invited her for lunch. She arrived at the restaurant on her bike, ordered a healthy meal and then talked about work but also about her children and partner. At the end of the meal she pulled a container from her backpack to tuck away her leftovers, so she wouldn’t waste food.

    That’s pretty much what you need to know about Julie: she’s a healthy, thoughtful, prepared, principled person who is engaged in her work and is a loving partner and mom.

    During her 25 years as a contractor at CNH, Julie has worked on a variety of projects. But first, she was a volunteer and sat on CNH’s Board of Directors; this was in the early 1990s when CNH’s main site was being developed.

    As a contractor in the 1990s she worked on an arts-and-culture project that created, among other things, the Multicultural Archway in front of the CNH Joyce location. Julie recalls that the Building Community Through Cultural Expression project also spawned the annual Moon Festival and the Renfrew-Collingwood Community News.

    She then worked on Multiculturalism Week where, as she distinctly remembers, the week’s activities ended on February 21; Her daughter Kate was born on February 22. Julie said Kate “still has wonderful timing to this day”.

    Julie also served as Renfrew-Collingwood’s Literacy Plan Coordinator, a project that brought together 200 people to develop a literacy plan for the neighbourhood.

    In 2007 Julie became editor of the Renfrew-Collingwood Community News a role she embraced with enthusiasm, working hard to reflect the neighbourhood in the pages of the newspaper. She also used a guiding principle she learned on the CNH Board: everyone has a gift to share. She turned that into a tagline for the newspaper: Every voice matters. Julie recently left that position but still retains the role of online editor.

    Julie said her long relationship with CNH has been an amazing journey where she and her partner have raised their children. “CNH has been an important part of it.” As she looks to the future she said she’s looking forward to playing tennis, spending time in her garden and raising mason bees.

    Thank you, Julie, and congratulations on this milestone!

    To learn about current career opportunities at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

  • Renuka Bhardwaj celebrates 25 years in Early Childhood Education at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    This year, we recognize and celebrate Renuka Bhardwaj for 25 years of service. Here’s what Sabrina Bantog, Manager of Child Care Human Resources, had to say about Renuka:

    I have known Renuka since she started with us at CNH 25 years ago. When I first met her, it was both as colleagues and in the parent/caregiver capacity as her daughter was in my program as an infant. Renuka’s first role with CNH was as an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) practicum student. Shortly after, she became a preschool staff and then took over as the supervisor of the program. She has been with the program as a coordinator ever since.

    If I had to pick one memory of Renuka, it would be of the time we spent together with Leadership Initiative, a course offered by Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC), where we spent many hours together learning about and working on advocacy for childcare. We created a project called “Children Are Everybody’s Business” and when the program came to an end, Renuka’s journey of advocacy was far from over. She continued on to become a board member with the Vancouver branch of ECEBC and recently became a shop steward.

    Outside of her typical work, Renuka takes opportunities when she can in order to support CNH. During the pandemic, Renuka was a tremendous support for community food distribution. Emily Rees, Director of Community Development, says Renuka stepped up without hesitation and was such a pleasure to work with. Renuka worked behind the scenes organizing food orders, registering clients, and working directly with community members to maintain safety, answer questions and receive food. Renuka was able to pivot her skillset and apply her knowledge from childcare to a new setting. She was also open to learning new skills. We were so grateful for Renuka’s contributions and are proud to share that Renuka continues to support other initiatives at CNH, such as our annual volunteer recognition event.

    Renuka’s colleagues say they enjoy working with her because she is open to new ideas, passionate about her work and fun to work with. Renuka’s favourite work-related memories are our Christmas parties in the multi-purpose room (a long time ago) and our ECE trip to Reggio Emilia in Italy.

    Renuka says, “CNH is not only my workplace, it was also my childcare place. I have made some good friends, I know I can go to for advice and help.” Additionally, Renuka says she has stayed with CNH for so long because CNH is a family-friendly workplace and it became the village that helped raise her child.

    When asked about her future plans and goals, Renuka says, “Let’s see what the future holds for me.”

    Renuka would like to acknowledge her daughter, Nikita, who now works at CNH with the Department of Operations.

    Thank you, Renuka, and congratulations on this milestone!

    To learn about current career opportunities at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

  • CNH staff celebrate 5 and 10-year milestones

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    Last year, we recognize and celebrate the following staff for 10 and 5 years of service to Collingwood Neighbourhood House:

    Over 10 Years

    • Robert Allen
    • Alice Chow
    • Bobby Jo Moore
    • Nafisa Sultana

    Over 5 Years

    • Michelle Olvina
    • Zakia Saad
    • Chaturika Kotteduwa Jawarden
    • Cecilia Garcia
    • San Kyaing
    • Mitra Alahyarkhani
    • Donna Bondy
    • Terry So
    • Samuel Iwama
    • Sylvia Ma
    • Nikita Bhardwaj
    • Elizabeth Leon
    • Ry Forsythe
    • Irene Mella

    Congratulations and thank you for your service!

    For information about careers at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

  • Candice Li celebrates 15 years at CNH

    Candice Li celebrates 15 years at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    Last year, we recognize and celebrate Candice Li for 15 years of service to Collingwood Neighbourhood House. Here’s what Candice’s supervisor, Jenny Eng-Chan, had to say about her:

    “Candice is one of our vibrant and boldest members of the Reception team. You can hear and feel her presence even before seeing her! I mean this in a positive way. She is confident and has that one-of-a-kind personality. This was first evident upon interviewing her. I recall that entire day was strange—the other interviewer had to cancel at the last minute and the room that I had booked to do the interview went into overtime. I was scrambling to find a place to conduct the job interview. There were limited choices: it was either the women’s changing room or the main kitchen! Obviously, I picked the kitchen. Candice was adaptable to the situation and continued to be unfazed at the noise and the interruptions. And this quality made her a perfect addition to the Reception Team.”

    “Along the way, I have learned that Candice had an aptitude for configuring programs and she loves to use her analytical CSI skills. When it was time for us to transition from our old-fashioned way of receiving and preparing payments received at the front desk to a more modern Point of Sales system, Candice was right there tackling the job. She was one of the key players involved in implementing our very first Point of Sales system, and if that wasn’t enough, she took part in building the second one, which we are using today. Candice constantly thanks me for her white hairs but I had promised Candice that there will not be a third time for at least another 10 years and by then, either we would have all retired or our hair would have naturally turned white, so I can’t be blamed for this.”

    “Besides her work, Candice has this talent of being able to transform almost any fruit into her “special juices,” also known as wine. She loves to test out the potency of her creations on her reception teammates and this is a part of the reason of why the Front Desk staff is always so pleasant. On that note, my wish for Candice is for her to continue perfecting her juice-making skills and testing them out on us. Cheers to many more years.”

    For information about careers at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

    ***

    Top image: Candice Li looking straight at the camera.

  • A key part of CNH: Sheri Parke celebrates 15 years at CNH

    A key part of CNH: Sheri Parke celebrates 15 years at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    This year, we recognize and celebrate Sheri Parke for 15 years of service to Collingwood Neighbourhood House. Here’s what Sheri’s supervisors, Emily Rees and Irene Mella, had to say about her:

    “Sheri Parke is a key part of Collingwood Neighbourhood House. She started her work at CNH in 2007 as the Neighbourhood Small Grants Program Coordinator, helping residents apply for neighbourhood small grants for projects that build community. In 2016, she started working as a casual Office Assistant in the admin office at the Joyce St location and would eventually become regular administrative staff in 2018. Sheri is also a highly engaged member of CNH’s Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committee, and volunteers to pick up bread from COBS Bread for the Families Branching Out program on Fridays.

    “We are grateful that Sheri is hard working, creative and friendly with all staff. Sheri is always willing to lend a hand, steps up to take the lead, and has been a constant in the admin office, even during COVID while most staff were working remotely. Irene says, “I trust Sheri to hold down the fort, and I value her ability to problem solve and think on her feet.”

    “When asked why she stayed so long at CNH, Sheri says, “I really appreciate the super friendly working environment. It also matters to me that CNH is diverse, inclusive and cares about their staff. I also enjoy being in the building when it is alive with hustle and bustle, delicious smells coming from the kitchen and happy activity everywhere.”

    “Sheri’s favourite work-related memory includes working on special events with the Admin Team. Sheri says, “I believe it is really important to gather and celebrate together with the community. My favourite is always the Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) Celebration dinner held each year at CNH. I get to engage with so many new and returning participants who are genuinely excited to share the results of their NSG project. When we ask people to turn to someone new and introduce themselves and share their project success, the energy level immediately sparks with excited conversations and laughter. People meeting one another at gatherings like these is very rewarding for me.”

    “We are so grateful to work alongside you, Sheri! Congratulations!”

    For information about careers at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

    ***

    Top image: Sheri Parke smiling at the camera.

  • Putting smiles on children’s faces: Rosanna Costantini celebrates a milestone at CNH

    Putting smiles on children’s faces: Rosanna Costantini celebrates a milestone at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    This year, we recognize and celebrate Rosanna Costantini for 15 years of service. Here’s what Sabrina Bantog, Child Care HR Manager, had to say about Rosanna:

    “Rosanna currently is a Grenfell School Age Childcare worker and she does Parents & Tots Gym time with our Recreation department.

    “Rosanna has been a participant, a volunteer and currently a staff. It all started over 20 years ago when she used to bring her children to Parents & Tots Gym Time and she participated in Family Place.

    “Rosanna has volunteered being an MC at many of CNH’s events, she has done senior’s friendly phone calls, volunteered & had a position in the Families Branching Out Program, and she facilitated the Mama & Papa Goose Program.

    “Rosanna’s supervisor, Donna says that Rosanna enjoys implementing a variety of activities with the children including cooking, art, music/dancing and playing tag. The children love her willingness to play along side them. She thinks Rosanna has stayed with CNH so long because she genuinely loves working with children, encouraging their individual growth and development.  

    “Donna’s favourite work-related memory involving Rosanna was when she made a pinata for Spring Break a couple of years ago. The children all took turns trying to break it open and… nothing. It was like the pinata had been made of concrete and not paper mache. So, Rosanna tried to break it, and ended up breaking the pinata stick in half, and the pinata remained unscathed. The running joke with her now is that she should explore a career of making houses with her paper mache mixture as they would stand up to almost anything and not fall apart!

    “When Rosanna was asked why she is still around, she said “It’s because I want to give back to our community, to families and children, to impact their lives… to put smiles on their faces, to lend them an ear when needed and also give them my heart but most of all to have them realize they are special, welcomed and that they belong and that they matter. We all have an important part to play in making changes and improving our society and the world and I can do this with my everyday interactions with the people who walk through the doors of CNH.

    “Congratulations and thank you, Rosanna!”

    For information about careers at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

    ***

    Top image: Rosanna Costantini smiling at the camera.

  • 20 years of ‘Addressing the needs and gaps for youth in the community’: Tanya Findlater celebrates a milestone at CNH

    20 years of ‘Addressing the needs and gaps for youth in the community’: Tanya Findlater celebrates a milestone at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    This year, we recognize and celebrate Tanya Findlater for 20 years of service. Here’s what Sanjeev Karwal, Director of Youth Services, had to say about Tanya:

    “Tanya moved to Vancouver from St. Catherine’s Ontario in 2002. She started her work at CNH as the summer program leader for the Youth with A Purpose program. From there, Tanya started working at the Youth Centre on Friday and Saturday evenings, where she still spends the majority of her time.

    “Over the last 20 years, Tanya has had many roles at CNH, such as running the buddy program for newcomer youth at the local schools, leading adult recreation drop-ins, and working with the kids at the Families Branching Out program.

    “Two of Tanya’s greatest assets are, one, how well she connects to and supports the youth, and two, her unlimited supply of energy.

    “Over her span of work at CNH, Tanya has appreciated working, learning and unlearning from a diverse group of youth and staff, the upwards mobility in her positions and the opportunity to address the needs and gaps for youth in the community. Some of Tanya’s favorite memories include: Handing out hot chocolate and candies in front of CNH on Halloweens, the boys and girls sleep over events, competitive floor hockey games, and when former participants come back to visit as adults.

    Thank you, Tanya!”

    For information about careers at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

    ***

    Top image: Tanya Findlater.

  • Yoko Tomita celebrates 20 years at CNH

    Yoko Tomita celebrates 20 years at CNH

    Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) proudly recognizes its long-serving staff members. At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), CNH staff and contractors who have reached the milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the neighbourhood house were thanked by the Board of Directors.

    This year, we recognize and celebrate Yoko Tomita for 20 years of service. Here’s what Emily Rees, Director of Community Development, had to say about Yoko:

    “Congratulations Yoko Tomita, Arts and Culture Manager. Yoko came to CNH as a Community member, volunteer, and mural art contractor. Over the past 20 years Yoko has contributed to and led projects to create murals, banners, mosaics, and shared her visual art skills with the community.

    “Renfrew-Collingwood neighbours and CNH staff have become extended family to her, and that is why she loves working here. Yoko expressed, that it has always felt like a privilege to work at CNH and she has learned so much about serving community in order to create a better place to live. In fact, it is CNH’s privilege to have Yoko as part of the community and we have all learned so much from her.

    “Yoko would like to thank January Wolodarsky, Andrea Berneckas, Paula Carr, Jennifer Gray-Grant and everyone in the Community Development Department, past and present for the endless support, friendship, and learnings.

    Thank you, Yoko for all you have shared and taught us!”

    For information about careers at CNH, visit www.cnh.bc.ca/about/careers.

    ***

    Top image: Yoko Tomita and her dog, Ginger.