Ronald Chu, Board Member
At Little Brothers- Friends of the Elderly, we are pioneering a new Highlight of the Week series where we shine a spotlight on members of the LBFE community including board members, older adults, volunteers, students, staff, CitySites (and more!) to learn about them and their experiences with LBFE. This week’s highlight is of one of our newest board members, Ronald Chu.
Please tell us a little about yourself- what you do for work, what professional experience do you have?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Southern California. I was born and raised in Boston and lived 32 years in California after college. I recently retired after 37 years in consulting engineering. My last role was as an Executive Vice President at a publicly-traded firm managing 21 companies worldwide in the areas of international development, energy, and engineering services. I have traveled to Israel, Palestine, Jordon, U.A.E., Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, Colombia, England, France, Australia, Canada, and others for my work. My wife and I live in downtown Boston. Our 3 children and 3 grandchildren live in California. We love to travel; volunteer for different local non-profits/charities; and I am working on improving my golf game.
What inspired you to get involved with LBFE?
We relocated back to Boston, in part, to spend quality time with my elderly mother who is 84 years old and living alone in a Brighton area housing for the elderly. While visiting her, we often encounter volunteers who provide friendly visits to the residents of the building. It really touched us to see how much the elderly residents enjoyed their company. Over the years, my wife has assisted the elderly during her volunteer work for the rotary club and our daughter has been providing friendly visits in elderly housing in California. It was only natural that I became interested in assisting the elderly. LBFE offered me that great opportunity to get involved here in the Boston community.
What has been your favorite memory so far of working with LBFE and why was it so meaningful to you?
My first volunteer day for LBFE was a friendly visit at a local Jamaica Plain elderly housing facility. We made flower bouquets for the residents; played BINGO; and spent time having conversations. My best memory of the day was playing musical BINGO with one of the residents who knew the words of every song we picked. She would sing verses from all the songs from memory! I found out in conversation that her father had once owned a record store decades ago. To see her so engaged and happy to sing her favorite songs really made my day… and hopefully hers too!
If you can give any advice to someone who wants to be involved with LBFE and our intergenerational programs, what would it be?
My advice to anyone who wants to get involved with LBFE is to simply be there to listen, converse, be interested, and interact. It’s amazing how even the simplest things give enjoyment to someone who is used to being alone. The elderly want to feel useful and the younger you are, the more they believe they can help you as a mentor and wise elder.
What is one accomplishment you are most proud of personally or professionally?
Being part of a company that has changed the landscape in terms of bringing more reliable energy and clean water to the most impoverished nations in Africa. The work we performed has touched millions of poor Africans simply trying to survive with little food, water, or electricity.
Be sure to check out next week’s blog to see who will be highlighted!