All Seniors Welcome!

Hello, my name is Terence Chan and I am the interim Seniors Programme Coordinator.

I was first introduced to the Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House when I brought my children to the StrongStart programme at Lord Nelson Elementary circa 2013. Lisa, the facilitator at the time, was an early childhood educator formerly employed by Frog Hollow. Fast forward 8 years later, I was encouraged by my practicum supervisor and instructor at Langara to interview Lysandra Chan, our Seniors Programme Coordinator, with the sole purpose of gathering information for my paper. Life came full circle a year later when Lysandra turned the tables and invited me for an interview to gauge my readiness to take on her responsibilities during her maternity leave. Big shoes to fill indeed!

Before embarking on this professional journey at Frog Hollow, I wore many hats including a stint as a project coordinator at Latincouver working with local volunteers and volunteers from Latin America to launch the annual Carnaval del Sol event. Surprisingly, to this day, I still do not speak any Spanish or Portuguese (Hola/Olá does not count). I was also formally trained and worked as a health informatician for a number of years. However, a role that I cherished the most was being a stay-at-home father and primary caregiver of my 2 children. At times, it was all work with no breaks, especially during the infancy stage, although I enjoyed every moment of it. Apparently, all work and no play did not make me a dull boy.

Speaking of movie references, here is a fun fact about myself. During my high school days, I was a great student (feel free to insert all your Chinese student stereotypes) not only because I was a dutiful 1st-generation Chinese boy, but also because I had developed an uncanny discipline to focus on my studies by avoiding unnecessary eye contact with the charming and dreamy looker that was my locker neighbour. He was older, and I was so glad he finally left me alone by graduating and moving to America. His name? Ryan Reynolds. Yes, that Ryan Reynolds.

Hello, my name is Manda. I am a Family and Senior Programmer at Frog Hollow and I have lived in Canada for almost 40 years.

My journey with Frog Hollow started 19 years ago when I took my daughter to the Frog Hollow Family Drop-in program and became a volunteer! It felt great to be able to share with others what I knew and what I could do.

Afterwards, I was very grateful to have the opportunity to be hired and officially become a staff member at Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House. At Frog Hollow, I work with clients from newborns to persons over 100 years old, though mainly with seniors. My job is to provide guidance and support to them so they are engaged, social and connected with the community.

As a part of the Frog Hollow community, personally, I have a wish: in the next 10 years, all the seniors in this neighbourhood have basic technology skills and can connect with others without barriers. In the past two years, due to the pandemic, many elderly people have transformed from resisting to accepting learning technology skills. So, it is feasible and a realistic wish, although we are progressing in baby steps.

My hobbies are crafting, taking public transportation to discover new things around the town, and participating in community activities.

Hello! My name is Frida Choi. I am a community programmer for senior programs at Frog Hollow. I will be supporting seniors directly, coordinating volunteers and facilitating senior programs.