For many refugee families arriving in Burnaby, part of Metro Vancouver, the first Canadian winter is a shock. They bring little with them, and the cold arrives quickly.

Since 2017, local Tzu Chi volunteers have worked with school-based settlement workers to support these new arrivals. In late 2025, they again provided supermarket gift cards and winter clothing to refugee families from 12 countries, helping them face winter with a bit more security and dignity.

Turning donations into comfort

From October 13 to 25, volunteers shared a winter clothing drive across community groups. Residents responded by bringing jackets, sweaters, pants, shoes, and brand‑new toys to the Tzu Chi Burnaby office. Volunteers hoped the toys would ease some of the anxiety children feel in a new country.

Every morning after serving breakfast at Windsor Elementary School, volunteer Ann Liu (劉懿容) brought community helpers with her to sort the clothing. At Stride Avenue Community School, volunteer Eugenia Choi (蔡燕姝) did the same, coming almost daily with others to classify items by size and gender and hang them neatly on racks. Bit by bit, the Burnaby office turned into a simple, orderly “winter shop” at no cost.

Social worker Mambo Masinda, a “settlement worker in school,” coordinated with colleagues to identify 30 recently arrived refugee families in need. For each person in these households, volunteers prepared a supermarket gift card worth 75 Canadian dollars.

Each envelope was checked against a sign-off sheet and then sealed. Volunteers also added a Jing Si Aphorism card: “Do not underestimate yourself; a person has infinite potential.” It was a small message of encouragement for people rebuilding their lives from nothing.

In previous years, volunteers chose and delivered winter clothing directly to homes. This time, families would receive gift cards at home, together with an invitation to come to the Tzu Chi office to select the clothes they needed. That way, they could find the right sizes and also get to know the place and the people supporting them.

The 30 families used ten different languages. To make the invitation clear for everyone, volunteer Tony Lin (林學謙) used AI to translate it into ten languages and enclosed a version in each envelope.

Gift cards delivered, neighbors met

On November 23, volunteers gathered at the Tzu Chi Burnaby office before heading out to deliver the envelopes. CEO of Tzu Chi Canada, Mac Miao (苗萬輝), arrived early to offer support. Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley and Councilor James Wang also came to show support for the volunteers' efforts.

One team—Zhao-Ping Zhang (張兆平), Xuefen Zhang, their 10‑year‑old daughter, and volunteer Lina Chiu (趙秀美)—visited a family from Afghanistan.

The family had fled the Taliban, stayed in Tajikistan for two years, and finally made it to Canada. The father has serious eye problems and diabetes and is hoping for medical advice. His daughter wants to improve her English. During the visit, Chao shared a Jing Si Aphorism with them, encouraging them to see difficulties as a force that can push them forward, not only as obstacles.

When illness and rent collide

Newly certified volunteer Wei-Ling Ng (黃緯綾) brought her daughter and new volunteer Lin Lan (藍琳) to visit the home of Filmon Ayalkbet from Eritrea.

Filmon arrived in Canada in 2024 with help from relatives. In Eritrea, he had been a construction worker. Now, he cannot work because his five‑year‑old son has epilepsy, and his wife is eight months pregnant and needs care. Their rent is 1,700 Canadian dollars a month, a heavy burden on a family without income.

Later, when the family came to the Tzu Chi office to choose clothing, volunteers paid close attention to their needs and requested extra‑thick blankets from the Canada branch for them. A follow‑up home visit is planned to see whether longer‑term assistance is appropriate.

An Afghan daughter returns to class

Hamili and his family of eight—parents, four daughters, and two sons—fled Afghanistan to Pakistan and, after three years there, arrived in Canada in 2024.

During the first home visit, volunteers met the 25‑year‑old eldest daughter at the door. She explains that her father had worked in gardening in Afghanistan, but cannot find a job in Canada because he cannot speak English. She is very happy to be here and is studying hard to learn English. Under Taliban rule, she had been barred from school; now she can learn again.

A few days later, she brought her parents and siblings to the Tzu Chi Burnaby office. Volunteers helped her parents try on coats and sweaters until they found clothes that fit. They did not share a common language, but the warmth was clear. At one point, Hamili’s wife hugged a volunteer tightly in thanks.

Another Afghan father, Ghulam Bahawi, reached Canada three years earlier and was only recently able to bring over his wife, five‑year‑old son, and three‑month‑old daughter.

In Afghanistan, he had been a general manager in a government department. In Canada, he delivers goods for a living. When volunteers arrived, he was still out on a run; soon after, he drove up, having rushed home. When asked whether his job was part‑time or full‑time, he said he made it full‑time by taking as many orders as he could. Even on Sunday, he did not rest. After the visit, he got straight back in his car and returned to work.

A Ukrainian mother gives back

Olesia, a mother from Ukraine, is raising four children alone in Canada. She works as a cleaner at a department store close to home; previously, she travelled farther to clean at a large store. Her 17‑year‑old son helps take care of his younger siblings. She told volunteers she feels satisfied with what they have now.

Two days after the visit, she arrived at the Tzu Chi office with three of her children. Her second son and daughter each found warm clothes, and her two‑year‑old son chose a toy he loved. While waiting at the station on the way home, Olesia took a photo of her 10‑year‑old daughter beaming in her new coat and sent it to the volunteers.

Although money is tight, Olesia has a strong wish to give back. She previously volunteered for five months at a small food bank in Vancouver. She told volunteers she hoped to help at Tzu Chi as well, even if just with cleaning.

Volunteers invited her to support Tzu Chi’s booth at Burnaby’s Festival of Lights. On November 29, she arrived with her eldest son. Together, they moved tables and chairs, learned how to make paper spinning tops and sky‑lantern crafts, and then helped visiting children. Only days earlier they had received help; now they were offering it.

More than numbers

In the first stage of this effort, 28 refugee households—142 people in total—received supermarket gift cards. In the second stage, from November 25 to 28, families came to the Tzu Chi Burnaby office to choose winter clothing. Volunteers first offered tea and snacks, helped with sign‑in, briefly introduced Tzu Chi, and then accompanied them to the clothing racks. Over four days, 18 families, 77 people in all, went home with bags of warm clothes.

From collecting and sorting donations (October 13–25) to distributing gift cards (November 23) and hosting clothing selection (November 25–28), volunteers served a total of 112 shifts.

Written by Shirley Tseng (曾永莉)