Past Events (Goldie It Forward)

July 19, 2024;  Aug 23, 2024

Apr 19, 2024;  May 17, 2024;  June 14, 2024;

Jan 19, 2024; Feb 16, 2024;  Mar 15, 2024;  

Oct 20, 2023;  Nov 17, 2023;  Dec 15, 2023; 

July 28, 2023;  Aug 18, 2023;  Sept 15, 2023;  

From 1.30pm to 4.30pm

We helped distribute the food packages to the foodbank users/ families. The food insecurity issue in Toronto is worsening. We witnessed longer lines for our foodbank every Friday. The number of foodbank users have increased from 50 families last year to 200 families in recent weeks. 

June 16, 2023

We provided assistance in counting and sorting all kinds of food in the warehouse.  

May 19, 2023

We helped sort and pack perishable and non-perishable items and assisted in duties requested by the site supervisor.

March 17, 2023

We performed various tasks in the warehouse and other duties assigned by the site supervisor, as usual.  It was a busy but fulfilling day.

February 17, 2023

We continued to assist with the operation of food bank by sorting and placing various food items into one bag for easy distribution.  Other tasks we performed included cutting fish and dividing egg cartons, etc.  

January 19 & 20, 2023

We volunteered at CICS Food Bank for two consecutive days.  On the first day we received food donation and unloaded all the items from trucks.  Then we set up, categorized and packed non-perishable food for distribution the following day.  When we returned the next day, we continued to organize the food and prepare for food distribution in the afternoon.  Our participants all felt happy and satisfied after a day of volunteering.  No wonder "research has revealed that seniors who volunteer regularly exhibit  greater life satisfaction and reduced symptoms of depression and  anxiety". 

 Mrs. Man, age 83, has been living by the motto, “what is taken from the community is to be used for the good of the society.” Her philosophy of life aligns with Goldie’s missions and values in paying it forward to people in need.

Mrs. Man loves singing. She immigrated to Canada nearly 40 years ago in her 40s with her husband and a family of 3 young daughters. After raising her daughters, she decided to learn piano as she did not have the chance to learn it earlier. After years of hard work, she finally succeeded. When Mrs. Man was able to play the piano at level 6, she was already at the age of 65. It may be true that older people may not absorb knowledge as quick as younger people, but Mrs. Man thinks that age should not be the factor that hinders people from learning. She deems that the process of learning brings positive impacts on health, which is particularly essential during the pandemic when people easily get depressed at home doing nothing. As a matter of fact, many research studies indicate that learning a new skill may help the elderly slow cognitive aging. Therefore, Mrs. Man believes that nobody is too old to learn and encourages older adults to keep learning, whether or not they are interested in the subject. As far as she is concerned, interests can be cultivated over time. Besides piano, Mrs. Man is currently learning singing, guzheng (Chinese plucked zither), sketching, etc.

Despite her age, Mrs. Man keeps herself busy every day. She teaches older people piano voluntarily. 

She believes that pianos improve brain functions and enhance hand-feet-eye coordination, which are beneficial to seniors. In fact, research shows that musical activities enable people to stay mentally healthy throughout their lives as well as brighten their moods, making them happier.

Actually, Mrs. Man feels that she lives a joyful and contented life every day since she started to contribute her valuable time to teach seniors piano in 2018. She felt that her positive attitude towards life and her volunteering (through offering other seniors with free piano lessons) has made her a happier person, which is supported by many research studies that volunteering is a powerful way to boost happiness and improves mental health. For this reason, Mrs. Man encourages seniors to keep

learning and volunteering as long as one can!