Staff
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 – Executive Assistant
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 – 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 – Recreation Coordinator
Christina is a graduate of the Therapeutic Recreation program at Douglas College and began her work at RCSS as a volunteer in early 2014.
Christina’s values of health, wellness and quality of life for all perfectly align with those at the Renfrew Collingwood Seniors Society. Along with the committed recreation team, it is her goal as program coordinator to implement fun, creative and innovative programming for the benefit of all clients.
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 – Special Projects Coordinator
Coming soon!
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.
Svea Vogt – Activity Worker
Svea grew up on the idyllic island of Salt Spring, the largest of the gulf islands, nestled between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Svea had a small family consisting of her older brother and mother. They were a close-knit team and loved spending time together. In the summers, they went on camping trips or traveled to Germany to visit family and friends. When Svea was 15, she moved to Spain and spent a year there attending a local school and living with a Spanish family.
After high school, Svea dove into an intense practical nursing program in Victoria. After completion of the program, Svea started work as a nurse at the local hospital on Salt Spring Island. After two years, Svea left her job, packed up all her belongings and flew to India where she stayed for half a year volunteering at an orphanage.
After India, Svea lived in Germany where she worked at a Montessori kindergarten. From there, she moved on to Turkey where she also worked with children at an elementary school teaching English.
Svea loves walking on beaches, reading, good conversations, learning new things and eating popcorn. She is thrilled to have joined the RCSS family and looks forward to getting to know you all better.
Joshua Doshi – Activity Worker
Coming soon!
Imran Ranmall – Activity Worker
Coming soon!
Anyao Huang – Activity Worker
Coming soon!
Jenny Chen – Summer Student & Activity Worker
Coming soon!
Volunteers
Fanny – ADP Volunteer
For many years, Fanny has been a loyal volunteer and diligently shows up here every Monday to help before the seniors arrive. Her responsibilities at the Centre have includes setting the tables, helping set up and tidy exercise, and other tasks available.
Jocelyn – ADP Volunteer
Jocelyn is our volunteer extraordinaire. Jo has been coming on Wednesdays since 2008. She is a hard worker and takes pride in all the tasks she does for the seniors. She is also quite a singer and dancer!
Virginia – ADP Volunteer
Virginia is our newest volunteer; but the way she works, you would say she has been here for years. She constantly engages in conversation with the seniors.
Tracy- ADP Esthetician
Tracy our volunteer esthetician has kept the seniors’ nails clipped, polished, and buffed for several years. She has great stories to share about her travels – it’s the unofficial Armchair Travel program.
Crow City Singers – Singers
The Crow City Singers have been singing their hearts out for us since 2009. Robert, Jan, Susan, Lise and Peggy drop by every month for a sing-a-long. So many seniors say that they love when the Crow City Singers come. It’s the old-fashioned playlist that gets them every time.