From Christmas dinners to photoshoots, from free dance lessons to fundraisers. Vanessa van Rensburg has been a very busy woman and although a life full of volunteer work might be daunting for some, to her it is simply natural. 

“I never sit still and I never stop thinking,” said van Rensburg. “I always find something I need to do.”

Van Rensburg explains that it is her upbringing that had left an impact on her passion to help others. 

“Coming from South Africa, it’s a much harder life than here,” said van Rensburg.

“You see a lot of ugly things like crime, rape, and murders. Having lived like that and not having everything that I have now made me feel compassion now I understand better when someone else is suffering.”

Growing up, van Rensburg was surrounded by people who would nourish her pension for volunteer work.

“My Sister worked with the councilor’s association in South Africa, she was a debutant for them and my brother was a missionary in Ukraine so we always raised funds.”

Van Rensburg recalls volunteering as early as a teenager. 

“When I was in high school we would actually do outreach programs at the state hospital in South Africa,” van Rensburg explained. 

“It mostly had children in the ward that we worked in but they didn’t have families necessarily or they were just left there for the state to look after when they are ill. We would go there every Sunday and perform for them, dance, and spend time there.” 

Van Rensburg moved to Merritt in 2010 with her husband, Sydney, and her first-born, Nathan. 

“My husband started to work at the golf course right away and that’s where I got to meet people.” 

In 2020, van Rensburg would organize what she deems as her most significant volunteer work in the community, the 2020 Christmas dinner.

“That year people didn’t want to come out of their houses, people weren’t allowed to visit, some are setting boundaries by telling their families ‘you can’t come,” van Rensburg explained.

“I know there are a lot of seniors in Merritt who would’ve spent their time alone if no one had reached out to them so that’s why we did that first Christmas dinner.” 

With the help of Ryan Weatherbie, the Merritt Centennials, John Stuart, and her family, van Rensburg was able to prepare and distribute 106 christmas dinners. This resulted in another year of doing dinners. This time around, van Rensburg and company were motivated to reach people who lost their properties and belongings to the flood. 

“Each person got gift vouchers, and presents for the kids, it was a very big thing the second year.” 

Van Rensburg was able to serve 160 dinners to the people of Merritt.

Recently van Rensburg has been busy helping her daughter, Kate, with her own ventures.

“She made pens with loom bands and sold them for a total of $425,” said van Rensburg. “We then sent the money to Orphan’s Hope for a family to get out of the Ukraine.”

Kate also raised money to help out at the BCSPCA. The young humanitarian looks up to her mother with her own efforts. 

“She’s really kind and she helps a lot. I think her Christmas dinners are really helpful to a lot of people in need.”   

Looking forward, van Rensburg hopes to make the Christmas dinner an annual event that she, her family, friends and fellow volunteers can do. 

“Just knowing that I could make someone’s life better for a day, it makes me feel happy.”