Asanda Cheung: Character of Citizen
What started as a summer engagement grew into a 16-year relationship filled with lasting friendship and unparalleled experiences with youth aged 16 and above at Across U-hub (AUH), a charitable community organization serving youth with the vision to cultivate socially responsible local and global citizens. Asanda is able to quickly establish rapport with her peers and consistently embodies the character attributes of resilience, compassion, initiative, and integrity in her occupation and various volunteer roles at AUH as program leader and youth mentor of many youth leadership training programs, volunteering over 200 hours annually and running marathons and electronic recycle drive to raise donations.
Her contributions and compassion for the marginalized can be seen in her actions since her teenage years growing up in Toronto. Starting at AUH’s youth leadership development workshop and playback theatre training, she experienced the mentor-mentee relationship and the power of storytelling, where she learned to connect people with heart and authentic self, and heal the hurts of others. In 2008, Asanda traveled with AUH to run post-trauma programs at a high school in Sichuan where 5,000 students were killed because of an earthquake. She also packed shoebox gifts for underprivileged children for 10+ years and took initiative to serve children in Costa Rica with Samaritan’s Purse Canada. She delivered 20+ programs to motivate over 600 youths to serve needy children. Her volunteer experience extended to the community, and she actively involves in toy drive, food drive, soup kitchen, out-of-the-cold, stem cell drive, environmental stewardship, shoreline cleanup, learn-to-camp program and more with various NGO. She is among those few with a humanitarian compassionate heart, who walks the talk and continually ventures forward.
Asanda graduated from the University of Toronto with a Masters of Pastoral Care. She is a Registered Psychotherapist and Spiritual Care Practitioner and supports individuals coping with grief, loss and life transitions. Her works focuses on the spiritual health and development of clients, patients, families, and staff while performing various roles in bereavement, patient experience, and professional education. This includes work in religious and spiritual development, staff support, creating and facilitating caregiver group, and working with individuals and communities through compassion practices. She has always believed that the healing power of storytelling can be felt by both the storyteller and the listener. She met youth and families who taught her the power of positivity and resiliency which she passes to those she encounters.
