In 2007, just three years after immigrating to Canada, Grace Chang (張文惠) was invited by community volunteer George Chou (周進隆) to join the breakfast service at Windsor Elementary School in Burnaby. The program aims to support students from low-income families and those in need. For Grace, this new routine, which officially began on February 5, 2007, was a meaningful continuation of the volunteer work she had previously done at Shidong Elementary School in Taipei, Taiwan.
A community effort
The breakfast service runs every school day from Monday to Friday. It relies on a dedicated rotation of volunteers and enthusiastic community members. While the transient nature of immigrant communities sometimes leads to a shortage of helping hands, certain families consistently step in when needed. Benny Shih (史庭祥) and his wife, Lucy Chang (張淑貞), along with their daughter-in-law, Ding, grandson Hao-Yu, and granddaughter Yu-Lu, frequently jump in to help.
In July 2010, Ann Liu (劉懿容) stepped up to coordinate the breakfast station. Regardless of the weather—be it rain or snow—Ann reliably drives to pick up fellow volunteers, ensuring the service remains uninterrupted for the students who rely on it.
LEFT: Ann Liu (left) coordinates the breakfast service at Windsor Elementary School, planting seeds of goodness in the children's hearts. RIGHT: Volunteers arrive at eight every morning to prepare a nutritious breakfast for the students. | Photos: Kai Shih
More than just a meal
Every morning, the team arrives at the school around eight o'clock. Their first task is to move ingredients from the second-floor refrigerators down to the first-floor dining classroom. They set up ovens, cups, bowls, forks, and spoons. The menu is carefully prepared: milk, cereal, yogurt, toast, jam, honey, and a safe soy butter alternative in place of allergy-prone peanut butter. The children's favorite cheese strings are always a staple on the table.
Around 8:25 a.m., teachers unlock the classroom doors, and the students walk in with bright smiles. Seeing their faces brings a deep sense of warmth to the volunteers, effectively cutting through the chill of any winter morning.
For Ann, the service is about more than just food. She believes that while providing meals, they are also planting seeds of kindness in the children's minds, creating a continuous cycle of care. She makes it a point to communicate gently with the students, who in turn feel comfortable sharing the small details of their lives. A young baseball player named Bosen shared the story of how he injured his leg, while another student, Keya, expressed frustration about an interaction with his grandmother the night before. Ann offers a listening ear and gentle guidance, allowing the children to start their school day feeling understood and lighter. Her presence is so valued that when she occasionally takes a day off, students eagerly ask, "Will Ann come to school tomorrow?"
Fostering understanding and gratitude
Windsor Elementary School hosts students from all over the world. With such diverse cultural backgrounds, minor friction in the dining room is sometimes inevitable. Once, a newly immigrated girl from Ukraine wore boys' shoes to breakfast, drawing stares and whispers from her peers. The volunteers gently stepped in to remind the children about the importance of mutual respect and treating others the way they would like to be treated. Hearing this, the students set aside their prejudices and enjoyed their breakfast together in harmony.
Over the years, the children have naturally learned gratitude and mindfulness. Aligning with Canada's focus on environmental protection, the students are taught to take only what they can eat to avoid wasting food, and they automatically sort their garbage for recycling when they are finished.
Some students even step up to help. Emma, who is consistently the first to arrive, frequently uses her small hands to assist the team, always wearing a shy smile. Volunteer Josh Chang (張哲熙) notes that Emma is a wonderful child who genuinely finds joy in helping others.
As the 2026-2027 school year approaches, the breakfast service at Windsor Elementary School will mark its twentieth anniversary. Over the past nearly two decades, the journey home after each morning shift has consistently brought volunteers a profound sense of peace and happiness. The experience continually echoes the belief that those who stand on others' land should give back to the local community, and that extending love to others is the vital first step in creating a more compassionate world.
Written by Grace Chang (張文惠)
