A lion dance, drumming and a balloon-festooned ribbon cutting ceremony were part of the opening celebration of Connections Community Services’ new location in city centre.
The Richmond non-profit held a grand opening for its new facility, located on River Road just south of Cambie Road, on Monday, with its executive director saying he hopes the next phase of its services fills in service gaps and acts as a “bridge” in the community.
Not only was the celebration for its new facility, it was also celebrating 50 years of service in the community.
Daniel Suen, executive director at Connections, explained the non-profit used to be called “Richmond Youth Service Agency,” but now it serves more than Richmond-area residents and has expanded beyond just serving youth.
In fact, one of the aspects Suen was most proud of was the intergenerational programming they do. Some of the programs they offer include “Digital Literacy for Seniors” whereby youth help seniors with their devices, “Generational Homework Club” and “Super Seniors Support Group.”
While Connections’ new facility is at the River Road location, its services are throughout the city, with out-of-school care at three Richmond schools and one in West Vancouver as well as other services offered throughout the community.
They also offer Indigenous-focused programming and workshops such as tax preparation, resume writing and job search skills.
Participants and volunteers come from other Lower Mainland communities as well such as Coquitlam, Surrey, Burnaby and Vancouver, Suen explained.
The proximity to the Aberdeen Canada Line Station makes it a convenient destination for participants and volunteers, he added.
Suen said the non-profit hopes to work with the community to figure out what “gaps” there are in services so they can work to fill them.
“We want to make a bridge so we can connect different people in different aspects,” Suen told the Richmond News.
Connections Community Services is located at 7580 River Rd. For more information, click here.
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