The Violet Richardson Award recognizes young women in high schools between ages 14 and 18 who make the community and world a better place through volunteer efforts. This year, Violet Richardson Award Committee had received 49 valid applications from high school students in Vancouver and Richmond. Reported by Ching, the Violet Richardson Award Committee, “We thought that we might receive only around 10 applications this year due to COVID pandemic, which caused less opportunities for students to volunteer in the community. However, we found that many applicants had not just volunteered for non-profit organizations, but also started up their own initiatives to help and support the people they found in…

Aishwarya HeranPrince of Wales Secondary SchoolViolet Richardson Award (2021) Recipient Thank you so much, Soroptimist International of Vancouver, for the Violet Richardson Award! It is an honour to receive this recognition from an organization which aims to support and uplift girls through education and social development. My volunteer roles include being the co-president of the Prince of Wales Secondary School Feminism Club, and co-founding an organization called the Daily Feminist. Through my school’s feminism club, I have been able to connect to my school community in a meaningful way and make positive change. The Daily Feminist provides young students with workshops about feminism in hopes to remove the misconceptions surrounding…

Rachel DongEric Hamber Secondary SchoolViolet Richardson Award (2021) Recipient My name is Rachel and I’m a grade 11 student at Eric Hamber. I volunteer with Ocean Wise, raising awareness and promoting the importance of ocean conservation through various service projects. I am also the president of Kitchen on a Mission, a youth organization which collects unsellable, end-of-day baked goods from bakeries to donate to people in need. Through these platforms, I will continue to advocate for the environment and support marginalized populations. I am incredibly honoured to be one of the recipients of the 2021 Violet Richardson Award. I would like to thank the people who have mentored and supported…

Isabel HuangPrince of Wales Secondary SchoolViolet Richardson Award (2021) Recipient I would like to thank Soroptimist International of Vancouver for the Violet Richardson Award. As the President of Dare to Care at my school, I help raise awareness and funds for youth experiencing homelessness in Vancouver. I am also the Founder and Chair of the Youth-to-Youth Wellness Initiative, where I organize webinars with licensed health professionals for youth aged 13-17 to learn about mental health. Through these initiatives, I have been able to devote my time to something I’m passionate about: helping youth in need. Being a recipient of the Violet Richardson Award has given me the confidence to continue…

Riea SinghJohn Oliver Secondary SchoolViolet Richardson Award (2021) Recipient My name is Riea Singh, and I am incredibly grateful for being awarded Third Place for the Violet Richardson Award from Soroptimist International of Vancouver. I am pleased to be one of four diligent young women to have the honor of representing this award for empowering girls and helping our communities. I am the President and Founder of ‘Because the Youth Cares’ – an awareness organization aimed to educate youth about social injustices by offering free academic resources. With one of the 40 global organizations we network with, we are able to offer books and clothing to around 100 young girls…