I used to walk right past the “Seniors’ Centre” at Britannia because I felt I was too young for them! But then I finally started to go there.

I arrived in Vancouver, BC, on February 22, 1966, from Abruzzo, Italy, and so I just celebrated 50 years in Canada. I was married in Italy when I was 15. My first daughter was born when I was 16. When we came to Canada we had two daughters, Iolanda and Margaret, and we had one more daughter, Sonia, soon after we got to Canada.

I started work in Canada after I had been here only a week, without speaking one word of English. I was attracted to Commercial Drive because they used to call it “Little Italy” and everyone spoke Italian. There were lots of Italian restaurants, bars, and stores.

My daughters and my grandchildren attended the schools at Britannia, so I started volunteering in the Family Activity Room doing cooking, crafts, crocheting, scrapbooks, and assembling Christmas boxes for single parents. I used to walk right past the “Seniors’ Centre” at Britannia because I felt I was too young for them! But then I finally started to go there.

It makes me feel good to help people and I love Britannia. I feel fantastic because of my friends, my kids, my grandkids, and this community.