At the close of 2025, we took time to recognize the incredible volunteers who make OCCA’s work possible. Their dedication, enthusiasm, and consistency were evident throughout the year. They supported more than 1,000 attendees at the Spring Lantern Festival, over 700 participants at the Mid-Autumn Festival, more than 8,000 attendees at the Asian Heritage Celebration, and over 6,000 participants on Canada Day, while also contributing across numerous community programs serving immigrants, refugees, newcomers, children, youth, adults, families, and seniors. Their impact has truly been extraordinary.
Volunteering with OCCA is more than giving time, it’s a space where our volunteers find community, purpose, and connection. Through their contributions, they not only help our events run smoothly but also build relationships with one another, creating a sense of belonging that extends far beyond the tasks at hand.
At its core, volunteering with OCCA is a true act of reciprocity: giving while gaining meaning, connection, and shared purpose. Each volunteer helps strengthen the organization and the community it serves, creating spaces where heritage, culture, and relationships thrive.
We are endlessly grateful to our volunteers for the time, energy, and heart they bring. They are living proof that when people show up for one another, both the organization and the community flourish.
We’d also like to extend our gratitude to United Way BC, Grizzli Winery, Lisa Liang from Dragon King Restaurant, Glenmore Garden Market, and BOBA Bubble Tea for helping us celebrate and show appreciation for our volunteers.
Delicious desserts provided at the event
About OCCA Communities Association:
The OCCA Communities Association is a registered charity and non-profit umbrella organization serving multicultural communities across the Central Okanagan, including Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, and Lake Country, with our region spanning nearly 100 kilometres from Peachland to Vernon. We offer services to everyone, and our virtual programs reach rural areas across the Okanagan, committing to fostering an inclusive, vibrant, and equitable society where immigrants, refugees, and equity-deserving groups can thrive and meaningfully contribute to building a sustainable community.
We respectfully acknowledge that the OCCA is operating on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation.
Please note that we will have a photographer on site during the events. If you prefer not to be featured in any photographs, kindly contact OCCA at info@occabc.ca.
