Vancouver resident Evelyn Florendo is receiving a Governor General of Canada award for her decades of work organizing Christmas dinners for teens in Burnaby's youth prison.
"Of course, I'm excited," said the 76-year-old. "It means a lot to me because I know we are able to give our real love and care to these kids in prison. With the government recognizing that, I hope that they can extend their care and love for them, as well."
The Caring Canadian Award is for volunteers who show compassion and charity, often behind the scenes at a community level. Florendo will collect her award at on April 17 at a ceremony in Ottawa.
Florendo started the prison dinners 29 years ago, after reading about incarcerated youth who were cutting themselves and attempting suicide while in custody.
Every Christmas, Florendo organizes a small army of volunteers, many from the Catholic community, to cook and serve a special dinner for the kids in prison. Some of the youth don't have any visitors and often come from broken homes.
The dinner typically includes performances by the teens, presents for the centre and a special guest who makes a motivational speech. Florendo invites dignitaries and former politicians to sit at the table with the kids. At the end of the meal, Florendo hands out a gift bag to each youth and says, "I love you."
