Here are few highlights evoking some of Alice's past community involvement
(all delivered on a completely volunteer basis; this archive is covering activities spanning years 2003 to 2017)
"No one can do everything, but everyone can do something."
"No one can do everything, but everyone can do something."
·
Arts
During
the years of 2008-2014, Alice initiated, founded, taught and managed the
‘Circle of Byzantine Iconography’, within the perimeter of a Romanian Orthodox
Church, in New Westminster, when she led her participants to represent a large variety of Christian Orthodox
Icons on glass, wood & rocks.
During the first 28 weeks, the program run weekly (each Sunday), then she shaped it to run Saturdays, twice a year (prior to Easter & Christmas – offering a spring & a winter season per year), having a good number of members (she started with 25 members, during the first weeks and then her class size was between 52-56 members per each season); in total, over the years, she had 165 different people (age 12 to 75) attending her classes (once, twice, few times or every single time she was offering the course). For all her participants, the experience she offered was extremely inspirational in many ways.
From 2014-2017, Alice was teaching iconography only by invitation, in smaller private groups and in a different public setting.
During the first 28 weeks, the program run weekly (each Sunday), then she shaped it to run Saturdays, twice a year (prior to Easter & Christmas – offering a spring & a winter season per year), having a good number of members (she started with 25 members, during the first weeks and then her class size was between 52-56 members per each season); in total, over the years, she had 165 different people (age 12 to 75) attending her classes (once, twice, few times or every single time she was offering the course). For all her participants, the experience she offered was extremely inspirational in many ways.
From 2014-2017, Alice was teaching iconography only by invitation, in smaller private groups and in a different public setting.
Below will be published
a photo gallery of Alice’s Iconography Circle over the years
·
Culture
Every
year, while teaching Byzantine Iconography (during
years 2008–2014), on each Holy Thursday (this is happening during each Holy Week, which is the week just before Easter), Alice
was offering a very special class of traditional Paschal eggs decoration (aka “Incondeiat de oua”).
The practice of decorating eggs is part of an old cultural tradition, which in essence is emphasizing the cycle of life.
The practice of decorating eggs is part of an old cultural tradition, which in essence is emphasizing the cycle of life.
Below will be
published a photo gallery of Alice’s eggs’ decoration sessions over the years
·
Philanthropy
While
teaching Byzantine Iconography classes, Alice also initiated a number of varied
philanthropic activities for her class members.
Feeding the homeless people on East Hastings Street
(East Hastings is a less privileged area of the city)
Alice
began this charitable gesture with small donations collected from the participants
at her painting circle as well as her personal financial contributions. At that
time, she created the necessary shopping lists, then the necessary ingredients were
bought, and all together assembled few hundreds of sandwiches in order to feed a
number of homeless people from East Hastings Street.
During
the first winter, from a portion of the collected donations, the homeless
people were gifted some basic necessities as well (such as socks, gloves & toques).
This type of activity was offered by Alice’s Iconography Circle, each season Alice was teaching painting classes (prior to Easter & Christmas times).
Because this charitable gesture was very successful, people from the church wanted to donate also, which allowed some of these actions to expand proportions.
After May 2014, when the activity of Alice’s Iconography Circle ceased, and Alice was not involved any longer with such activities at the church, the church adopted the format Alice initiated and continued to deliver sandwiches on East Hastings Street, which is nice.
This type of activity was offered by Alice’s Iconography Circle, each season Alice was teaching painting classes (prior to Easter & Christmas times).
Because this charitable gesture was very successful, people from the church wanted to donate also, which allowed some of these actions to expand proportions.
After May 2014, when the activity of Alice’s Iconography Circle ceased, and Alice was not involved any longer with such activities at the church, the church adopted the format Alice initiated and continued to deliver sandwiches on East Hastings Street, which is nice.
Below will be published
a photo gallery to reflect these activities of the circle
*
Visiting a senior house for dialogue groups between
generations
For
the students from her iconography class, Alice was organizing also an
additional type of activity, meant to ignite an educational dialogue between
generations (on one side having the
seniors – who in some ways were almost at the end of a long journey, and on the
other side having a large group of teenagers – who at that time were at the
beginning of their adulthood). Definitively, an activity well received by
everyone.
Below will be published
a photo gallery to reflect these moments
*
Visiting a senior house to sing seniors Christmas Carols
*
Visiting a senior house to sing seniors Christmas Carols
Each
winter, during 2008–2014, Alice together with her group of students were visiting
a chosen senior house in town to sing them Christmas Carols, and to gift them
after with separately wrapped Lindt chocolates, while bringing along greetings
of joy & good health.
Below will be published
a photo gallery to reflect these activities
*
Visiting Ronald McDonald House
Each
winter, during 2008–2014, Alice together with her group of students were also
visiting the Ronald McDonald House (a
house for seriously ill children waiting for major cancer treatments) to
sing them Christmas Carols, to gift them after with small Lindt chocolates and
to bring along messages of hope and encouragement.
Below will be published
a photo gallery to reflect these activities
*
Volunteering with her students at Union Gospel
Mission
(Union Gospel Mission is an organization that helps less fortunate people overcome poverty, homelessness & addictions)
(Union Gospel Mission is an organization that helps less fortunate people overcome poverty, homelessness & addictions)
Together
with her students, few times, Alice was visiting the Gospel Mission, in New Westminster, to serve lunch
or breakfast to groups of homeless people, helping the volunteer teenagers
understand that at times life could be harsh, and blessed are those who are
able to give a hand to another soul in need.
Below will be published
a photo gallery to reflect these activities
· Education
In 2003, when father Mina Dobzeu (a very
special elder of Romania) was visiting Vancouver, Alice was
instrumental in organizing several educational events (in a number of public & private settings), allowing him to deliver life related teachings filled with profound and timeless wisdom.
Below will be published
a photo gallery to reflect these moments
· Entrepreneurship
Over the years, Alice organized a number of networking events, where certain friends (who are also business owners) were invited to present their businesses, to exchange business cards, to network and / or to simply cross reference opinions about future developments, possible collective projects or potential joint ventures.
Why all of these?
Because, truly, the happiest people in
the world are the givers.
Photo galleries of the above mentioned activities
For
Arts (work in progress)
For
Culture (work in progress)
For
Philanthropy (work in progress)
For Education (work in progress)