Wei Wei’s Kits House story began during high school, when she first encountered neighbourhood houses. Her introduction started with the Youth Leadership Program at South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, which would eventually lead her to Kits House.
“I did day camp and contract work and bounced around different neighbourhood houses. Kits was my first full-time job, so that was a milestone for me,” Wei Wei recalls.
“[At Kits House,] I was the program coordinator, and this was before all the renovations. There was the separate house, the hall, and underneath the hall was the preschool. That was interesting and fun. I did that for two years.”
Looking back, Wei Wei credits her time with Kits House and other neighbourhood houses for shaping her career and personal development. According to Wei Wei, the skills she gained were invaluable.
“For me, neighbourhood houses have gotten me to where I am now in my career and have shaped me as a person. Some of it is about collaboration, community development, and needs assessment. You need to figure out what the needs are, how to address them, who to work with, what resources to leverage. It’s also about relationship building and seeing people where they’re at,” she explains.
“When I was at Kits House, it was much smaller and very grassroots. If someone said, ‘We need XYZ,’ it was about rallying people and responding quickly. If we didn’t have the capacity, we would direct them to someone who could help.”
Wei Wei describes how the role at Kits House allowed her to develop a wide range of skills — from fundraising and grant writing to frontline work like programming, recruitment, and promotions. This hands-on experience gave her the confidence to handle the diverse responsibilities that come with working at a neighbourhood house.
She also has fond memories from her time there, including a heartwarming moment with the daycare kids.
“Because I had my Class 4 driver’s license, the daycare asked me to pick them up at a playground. I was driving, and they started singing the Macarena, substituting my name in the song. It was so adorable,” Wei Wei says laughing.
Wei Wei, an advocate for the mission of neighbourhood houses and their impact on communities, highlights how they create a sense of belonging and support that goes beyond the services they provide.
“Our mission [at Neighbourhood Houses] is to make neighbourhoods better places to live,” she says.
“Each neighbourhood house, depending on the community’s needs, the leadership, and the staff’s specialty, addresses specific needs. It’s very much tailored to the community, focusing on community development and working with the people in our communities.”