Donna Clarke – Executive Director
Donna has more than 32 years experience in the non-profit sector, most of that time she worked with organizations focused on senior’s issues. Donna managed other senior centres and retirement residences in Vancouver. She held positions in government relations and project coordination as it pertains to senior’s housing. As a young woman, Donna taught a fitness class for seniors at the YM/YWCA after completing her Fitness Instructor Course at the local Trades College.
Community Development is Donna’s forte and she prepared for that by taking the Community Leadership Program at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. Donna however attributes most of her learning to her parents who were union activists and advocates for a variety of causes. Donna has been volunteering most of her life and has served on several committees, including Boards of other non-profits. Donna is a trained facilitator in adult education and has taken numerous courses at the University of British Columbia, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Langara College, and Vancouver Community College.
The non-profit sector is where Donna belongs, and she understands how important it is to be part of a community. She strives to create an inclusive and caring organization that is welcoming to everyone.
Joon Kim – Accounting
Joon was a bookkeeper for a beads retail store before coming to RCSS and has a few other private clients. Joon’s passion is in setting up organizations with efficient process for accounting. He loves to lift weights, plays many sports (golf, soccer, volleyball, basketball, snowboard etc), and play board/video games.
Wai Yee Chou – Nurse
Wai Yee’s hometown is Montreal, Quebec. She is originally from Hong Kong. She was educated in Montreal and Vancouver. Her studies were in special education and nursing.
Christina Webster – Manager of Programs & Services
Christina has been working at Renfrew Collingwood Seniors Society since 2016 and has a degree in Therapeutic Recreation and an associate degree in Fine Art. She is passionate about service to others and also chairs the board of a local community non-profit organization. Christina believes that everyone has strengths and can thrive given the right environment and opportunity. Outside of work and volunteering, Christina likes to spend time with family, cook healthy food, listen to music and practice yoga – sometimes all at once!
Rose Smith – Cook
Rose Smith was born in Vancouver to German parents. Her love for cooking started at a very young age. At 3 years old, she would put play dough on the heating vents to try to cook it. She was famous amongst friends for her fancy mud cakes she created outside from a puddle. At age 10 she would play restaurant to her parents and their friends at lunchtime.
Her mother trained her to cook supper for the family so she could work longer hours. In high school Home Ec was her favourite class. She would bake and bake all weekends long.
She has worked at RCSS as a casual cook for many years and then took a permanent position when it became available. She also cooked for other Adult Day Programs, Treatment Centre for Eating Disorders, hotels, camps, etc.
Cassandra Ly – Executive Assistant
Cassandra first started at RCSS as a volunteer at 17 and has been part of the organization in different capacities. She attended UBC and graduated from the Global Resource Systems Program in 2015, focusing on food security, community development, and sociology. Cassandra grew up in Renfrew-Collingwood and has volunteered and worked around the neighbourhood including the Renfrew Park Community Centre, Collingwood Neighbourhood House, and Adrian Dix’s Community Office. She has a deep passion for working with seniors and is committed to strengthening and making community-based healthcare services more accessible to older adults and their loved ones.
Her grandparents are from China, but migrated to Vietnam at a young age where her parents were born. She has mixed Chinese-Vietnamese heritage, speaks Cantonese and English, and is the middle child of 3. On her spare time, you can find her baking sweets at home or spending money on desserts at local bakeries and cafes, hanging out with family and friends, biking, and playing volleyball.
Faith Malakoff – Activity Worker
Faith is one of our many members in our recreational team at Renfrew Collingwood Seniors’ Society. She is originally from the Slocan Valley and is the youngest of four girls. She moved to Vancouver in October 2013 to study Gerontology-based Therapeutic Recreation at Stenberg College in Surrey.
She graduated October 2014 from this intensive one-year diploma program, and she admits that her life has changed during that time. She feels she is in the right field and that she has something to offer. Never before has she woken up in the mornings excited about going to work, until now! She is grateful for the opportunity to work in such a fun and supportive environment.
Claire Oh – Nurse
Claire was born to a Korean family and moved to Vancouver in 2009. She was educated in the Philippines before coming to Canada. She enjoys watching TV, playing card games, traveling, and lifting weights for her leisure time. She used to work as a nurse at a long term care facility and pharmacy before coming to RCSS.
She values establishing good rapport with her patients and loves to take care of seniors. She believes helping people is the most fulfilling thing in the world and nursing allows her to do this on a daily basis. She is very excited to join the team and looks forward to helping the society grow.
Anyao Huang – Activity Worker
Anyao began her work at RCSS in 2019, after she graduated from Rehabilitation Assistant program at Vancouver Community College. She has been volunteering at the Minoru Residence since December 2015.
Anyao was born in mainland China and moved to Vancouver in 2014. She loves reading and watching movies. She is happy to meet and chat with clients at the RCSS and provide support when needed.
Laura Lopez Forero – Activity Worker
Laura is a professional in Physical Culture, Sports and Recreation. Originally from Colombia. She thrives by facilitating activities that help others to have a great quality life. She has been working with seniors since 2018. As part of that work, she was a volunteer with Whole Way House. She volunteers with kids in Sunday school for her church. Laura loves to dance, workout, and she enjoys spending time outdoors. She is the middle child and only girl in her family.
Hugo Chung – Activity Worker
Hugo was born in Hong Kong and moved to Vancouver in March 2023. He graduated with a background in Physical Education & Recreation Management and worked as a Physical Education Teacher for 4 years in Hong Kong. He is a sports-lover especially volleyball and he was a Hong Kong League volleyball player and volleyball coach in high school before. He also likes film photography and enjoys taking photos. He loves to travel and had an experience to travel solo around Europe for one month in 2017. One of the greatest parts of his life is his family and friends.
Alexandra Pastega – Program Coordinator
Alexandra joins us with five years of work experience with children and seniors. Her first job was with the YMCA doing after school programming. Since the YMCA, she has worked as a therapeutic recreation assistant in long-term care homes in Fort Langley and Vancouver. Alexandra has a background in community recreation and has won scholarship awards for excellence in arts and cultural programming. In her free time, she can be found baking, making resin art, playing with her orange cat named Stitch, playing Italian card games with her family, or spinning around on the aerial hoop.
Ella MacQueen-Denz – Activity Worker
Ella is from Salt Spring Island, and moved to Vancouver this past Spring. She mostly gets around the city by bicycle! In her free time she loves to read, knit, paint, and draw.
Habana Gutierrez Vior – Activity Worker
Habana is from Madrid, Spain and came to Canada in 2017 for university. She is an international student completing her masters in Gerontology. She has 2 years of experience working with seniors and enjoys spending time outdoors camping and rock climbing.
Michelle Suriawan – Activity Worker
Michelle was born and raised in Bali, Indonesia and moved to Vancouver in 2018 for University. She graduated from UBC in June 2023, majored in Food Science and she worked as a Research and Development Technician at food industries for her co-op programs. She is also a coffee lover and she worked part-time as a Barista in her last year of university. Michelle loves being active and she plays a couple of sports such as badminton and basketball, but her favorite one is Volleyball. She has been joining volleyball leagues ever since 2021 and she has some experience in being captain. Other than playing sports and exercising, Michelle really enjoys baking – her signature baked goods are mexican bun and matcha brownies! She finds enjoyment and fulfillment when helping other people, so she is very excited to make great connections with seniors and giving back to the community.
York Lam – Activity Worker
York moved to Vancouver 8 months ago. He loves Vancouver as it is a wonderful place. He worked as a social worker for 10 years in Hong Kong before. He had joined a volunteer team since his high school education. During tha ttime, he was a coach of Sport-stacking and Dodgebee in Hong Kong. He led the teams to join international competitions where they won several awards. He likes talking and playing with people and hopes everyone will be happy. His most favourite interest is playing Mahjong with his family.
Crystal Liu – Recreation & Office Manager
Crystal is a Kinesiology gradate from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and has various experiences leading and managing physiotherapy and injury rehabilitation programs. She is passionate about teaching and inventing creative ways to help others lead an active and healthy lifestyle. During her free time, she loves to stay active with badminton, play piano and create handcrafted gifts for her friends and family.
Bradly Moisan – Activity Worker
Bradly Moisan is a person of diverse experiences and passions. Professionally, he has dedicated his time to both recreation and being a healthcare aid, primarily within the long-term care setting. Away from work, Bradly has found solace in the world of music, teaching himself to create melodies that express his emotions and offer a connection point for others to join in to share their story and energy through music and art.
Beyond these pursuits, Bradly enjoys the simplicity of life outdoors. Camping and sports are his chosen avenues for relaxation and enjoyment, reflecting his love for the beauty of nature and the thrill of physical activity. Bradly’s life is a blend of work, creativity, and outdoor appreciation.
Onur Gursoy – Cook
For six years, Onur has dedicated himself to the culinary craft within the food and beverage industry. His culinary journey began with his upbringing by the sea in Turkey and was followed by formal training in Culinary Art at LaSalle College. Growing up between Turkey and Canada, he draws inspiration from his Mediterranean heritage to create his favorite culinary delights. Beyond the kitchen, Onur enjoys spending his free time fishing by the river, navigating the coastline of Vancouver on his boat, or camping amidst nature.