Trisha Dulku is passionate about empowering the community she calls home.
As the Community Projects Coordinator with Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Surrey Campus, she works with students, faculty and staff to help organize and execute community-focused initiatives that support local newcomers and youth.
Building community
What inspires Trisha? The opportunity for positive change she sees every day, in both her neighbourhood and its residents.
“One of the things I love most about living and working in Surrey, is the amount of potential the city has,” she says. “I see so many chances for growth – especially when it comes to engaging with the youth in the city to make it a better place.”
Trisha at her SFU office.
A recent graduate from SFU, she sees parallels between her work and her own personal journey as a young person in the city.
“The city itself is young and getting its bearings,” she says. “I myself am also young and getting my bearings, so we’re almost on a strange journey together.”
Local love in action
Last month, Trisha took her investment in “local love” to a new level, completing the Acts of Local Love Challenge. For thirty-one days, she completed a different act of local love every day – from opening a door for a stranger, to sending a thank you card in the mail – in a effort to find out how daily, conscious acts of kindness might impact her own outlook on her neighbourhood and community.
“Studies show how volunteering and giving back can motivate individuals and increase feelings of self-esteem and self-worth,” says Trisha. “Personally, I know that giving will always make me feel great.”
Trisha passing on the goodwill and sharing her local love.
One of her biggest surprises? How many people got behind her local love journey – both digitally and in-person.
“It was cool to see how many people followed me and my acts of local love on social media. Around Day 15, I posted one of my cards a day late and I had a few of my followers send me messages asking, ‘Where is Day 15?” Why haven’t you posted yet?’ It was then that I realized how many people were following and invested in my challenge. I actually set an alarm on my phone every night at 11 PM to make sure that I remembered to post!”
Following her lead
Trisha also had people reach out to her to let her know she had inspired them to perform their own acts of local love.
“I received emails from other students and staff, telling me to keep up the great work. Simply seeing me smiling at a stranger – they too were energized to take on little, kind acts for others.”
Trisha and a friend, saying hello!
For her, it was the simplicity and ease of the challenge that made everything come together.
“What I loved most was how easy so many of the acts were. Opening a door for a stranger or smiling at someone – these are things that you wouldn’t think would make a difference in someone’s day, but they do make an impact.”
She also noticed herself taking stock of the kind, accommodating and empowering ways others impact her life on a daily basis.
An act of local love can be as simple as a cup of coffee.
“I noticed that as I was doing these little things for other folks, I was taking note and taking account of how many amazing little acts of kindness other people do for me.”
Involving others
She also found ways to engage her friends and family in the challenge, taking fun, action-packed shots of them in and around the city, spending time in nature, at community events and finding ways to beautify local spaces.
“One of the cards was all about doing a clean-up in your community. A friend and I went to Fleetwood Gardens and picked up lot of garbage. It surprised me how much it shows people that you care if you do something like step out of your front door and pick up garbage for an hour.”
Trish and her friend Matt after collecting garbage in Fleetwood Gardens.
Her favourite act of the month saw her purchase a long-treasured book and leave it wrapped up for a lucky stranger. For this act, she went back to her youth, gifting Roald Dahl’s Matilda to one SFU undergrad.
“I stood by and watched them pick it up and walk away with it. I was like, ‘Yes! Someone is going to read now, success!’ ”
Trisha’s note to an unsuspecting student.
After beginning her own local love journey, Trisha recommends others take up the challenge to see how they too can make a difference in the lives of others in their community.
“I am so much more self-aware of the tiny things that I can do to make a big impact on someone else’s day. And that’s the thing about local love – it’s a little act – however small – that makes a real difference in the lives of the people around you.”
River is another young community champion in Surrey who shows his local love every day. Read his story here.
Show your local love. Take part in the Acts of Local Love Challenge today.
Topics : Building strong communities, Local love, Surrey
