Joji was first introduced to the Door is Open in 2021 by her friend, Evelyn, a regular volunteer. Initially, the intention was that Joji would fill in whenever Evelyn was unavailable, but this ultimately led to Joji becoming a regular volunteer as well.
When asked why she chose to volunteer here, Joji said that she had seen so many people in the Downtown Eastside needing help that she wanted to try to respond even in some small way. Although the actions appear small – such as serving the 10am coffee and snacks, or preparing and serving the 11am lunch – they feel special because they are offered to each recipient with love and care. On days when there are enough food prep/server volunteers, Joji still keeps busy because there are so many other tasks that need tending – baking the cookies for snack times, washing up the dishes, cleaning the tables. If she is not at work, she can usually now be found at DIO!
Given her generous and kind heart, Joji has also enjoyed getting to know her fellow volunteers which has led to additional volunteering at our neighbours, the Missionaries of Charity Sisters. We are very blessed to have Joji as part of the DIO family.
