Cathy Emmerson with an
orphanage child

As a Maple Ridge REALTOR® between 1990 and 2003, Cathy Emmerson was well-known for her caring, attentive service, kindness and good deeds, according to her close friend, REALTOR® Sandra Wyant.

Emmerson has long been known for her commitment to volunteering. In the late 1990s, she served as a member of the Maple Ridge/Pit Meadows division of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV), and later as vice-president and president. Emmerson also participated in REALTORS® Care, nominating one of the 2001 award winners.

Emmerson visited the Imbabazi Orphanage in Rwanda. It changed her life.

“Cathy started our annual Maple Ridge Thanksgiving dinner that REALTORS® continue to host each year. For this dinner, REALTORS® solicit or donate supplies, cook the meal, with all the trimmings, and serve those less fortunate,” explains Wyant.

In 2001, while on a vacation in Rwanda to see wild mountain gorillas, Emmerson visited the Imbabazi Orphanage. “This changed Cathy’s life,” said Wyant. “Once home, she sold everything she owned and went to Africa to volunteer full-time with the orphanage.”

Emmerson opened a gift shop to help local artisans and craftspeople sell their wares. When she saw children of working parents on their own, she decided to start a pre-school. Caring for 120 children under the age of six, Emmerson now teaches English and French, and provides food, school supplies and a friendly face. She’s also helped 500 poor families become self-sufficient by supplying them with goats to breed and sell.

If you would like to help Cathy Emmerson, you can contact her through povertyreductionrwanda@yahoo.com.