Two people with ties to the Tri-Cities will be honoured with a Medal of Good Citizenship from the provincial government for their extraordinary accomplishments.
Today, Aug. 6, Victoria announced Port Moody’s Mary Daniel — a UBC graduate who now calls Vancouver home — and Reihaneh Mirjani of Coquitlam as two of the 18 B.C. residents to be awarded the hardware this summer.
“These 18 people have made a profound impact on their communities and a positive difference in the lives of so many,” said Premier David Eby, in a news release.
“By sharing their time, energy and talents, they are making B.C. a better place. Their selfless generosity is a model for us all and I thank them for it.”
Daniel was 15 when she started volunteering with Best Buddies, a group that forms friendships with people who have disabilities. At UBC, where she is currently studying medicine, Daniel signed up to be on the executive chapter and organized a fundraiser called Hooping it Up.
At UBC, Daniel also served as a student leader for Options Community Services to help children and youth with special needs.
For Mirjani, the co-founder of Soul Bite Food Inc., her accolade recognizes her work in cutting food waste as well as helping new Canadians in her role as vice president of the Immigrant Link Centre Society.
For the latter initiative, with 370 volunteers, Mirjani has collected and distributed unsold, usable food from grocery stores to help low-income families, immigrants and refugees in the Lower Mainland via 29 food hubs — a move that saves more than a million kilograms of perishable food each year, valued at more than $7 million.
Nominations for the Medal of Good Citizenship are accepted year-round. Any current or former long-term resident of BC is eligible to be nominated. Youth and posthumous nominations are welcome.
