“We’ve given and have got back tenfold.”
For Karen and Scott Stanley, there’s a simple reason why they give to a worthy charity like CLICK: they are keenly aware that people supported and gave to them throughout their lives and that inspires them to give back.
“We’ve given and have got back tenfold,” says Karen.
As a first-generation child born in Vancouver to immigrant parents from China who were seeking a better life in Canada, Karen knew what it was like to not have a lot in a material sense – but to have hardworking parents who did everything to give her a rich life.
She went on to work as an inner city teacher in Vancouver and saw first-hand the effects of poverty on children. She has seen working poor parents go without so their children will have things. She has seen kids experience the shame of being poor to the point where they won’t take a bag lunch at school out of pride.
Starting life in rural Saskatchewan, Scott says the support he got from adults who believed in him allowed him to reach his potential and his goals. He is now a partner in the Vancouver law firm Murphy Battista LLP.
“I think I’ve been given a lot more – in time, mentorship and opportunities – than I’ve given,” says Scott.
Both Karen and Scott see the challenge and importance of conveying to Vancouverites a shocking and sad reality: one in five children in Vancouver lives in poverty.
They both feel many of their fellow Vancouverites are unaware of the extent of this crisis. “A lot of poverty is hidden,” notes Karen.
“There are people who have the resources to help but don’t know that so many kids are living in poverty in our city,” adds Scott.
The couple are keen CLICK supporters because they believe there aren’t many causes more important than investing in children.
“To give kids a chance to fulfill their potential and have a brighter future, we’re all better for that,” says Scott.
In agreeing, Karen quotes a Chinese proverb: If you always give, you will always have.