Giving Back Starts with Seeing People: A National Philanthropy Day Profile

For nearly two decades, BC Transit operator Chris Tolhurst has driven the streets of Greater Victoria, greeting passengers, observing the rhythms of the community, and quietly giving back to the place he calls home.

This National Philanthropy Day (November 15), United Way BC is proud to recognize Chris for his longstanding commitment to community and for the generous spirit he brings to his work, his union, and the causes he supports.

Chris joined BC Transit in 2008, thinking he was signing up to simply drive a bus. What he discovered instead was a career that enabled him to build relationships and contribute to community causes.

“You think, ‘I’m going to drive a bus,’ and that’s all,” he says. “But I’ve had a lot of opportunities, like charitable work and union involvement, and those parts have turned out to be quite rewarding.”

Chris is a member of UNIFOR 333-BC, representing bus drivers and mechanics. Through his union and his workplace, he was first introduced to United Way BC’s work. And among all the campaigns and initiatives he has supported over the years, there is one that stands out: Period Promise.

A Champion for Period Promise

Chris has participated in the Fill-the-Bus event (a signature element of the Southern Vancouver Island regional Period Promise campaign) since the very beginning. He drives a BC Transit bus to the event location and acts as its mobile host, welcoming the public to drop off donations of menstrual products.

For him, the campaign’s power lies in its visibility and its ability to bring people together in support of menstrual equity.  

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how many dollars or menstrual products we collect,” he says. “It’s that we’re out there, and people are always just so generous. People come out of the woodwork and bring their kids to donate. The part I really enjoy is how interactive it is.”

The Period Promise campaign—a United Way BC initiative—works to reduce the barrier and stigma associated with period poverty. Chris’s ongoing participation has helped thousands of people access free menstrual products through community organizations across the region.

But Chris’s support for United Way BC extends far beyond his volunteerism at events like these.

A Longstanding Donor Who Believes in Community Impact

Chris has donated to United Way BC through payroll deduction since 2010, increasing his support as his seniority and wages grew.

“The beautiful thing is that it happens automatically. I didn’t have to think about it,” he says. “As I got more seniority, I would try to bump up my donations a little more every year.”

His understanding and appreciation of the organization deepened when he became a United Way Campaign Associate in 2017 and in 2018—an experience he describes as pivotal.

“I didn’t really understand how much United Way does until then,” he says. “United Way vets the organizations [that donations support]. They make sure they’re run properly and doing what they say they’re going to do. That matters. It gives you the chance to have a bigger impact instead of donating to only one organization.”

Chris still keeps in touch with many of the colleagues he met during his Campaign Associate years—relationships forged by a shared commitment to community.

A Bus Driver’s View of Community

Driving a bus has given Chris a unique, long-term perspective of the people who live in the region. Seeing riders day after day, year after year, he has developed an acute appreciation for how fragile life can be, and how resilient people are.

“You realize that people with struggles are just people trying to get by who’ve had something unfortunate happen,” he reflects. “It’s not that someone thought, ‘I’m going to go do fentanyl because it’s the best thing for me.’ That’s not how it works. It’s much more complicated.”

He has watched people fall into difficulty and, sometimes, pull themselves back out. Those observations have reinforced his belief in the importance of community support and well-run organizations that help people when they need it most.

Rooted in Values

Chris grew up in a single-parent household, where his mother modelled volunteerism and generosity. Later, immediately after high school, he joined Katimavik—a program that brings young people together to work in different communities across Canada.

“We were basically getting a dollar a day plus room and board,” he recalls. “I think that was the start of it for me.”

That early exposure to service shaped the way he sees community today: not as an abstract concept, but as something people actively build together through small, steady contributions.

Why He Gives—and Why Others Might Consider It

When asked what he would say to someone considering a donation to United Way BC, Chris is clear:

“The amazing thing is that United Way supports so many different charities, so your donation touches more people. And the money stays here; it’s helping people in our communities.”

He also remembers a moment from his time as a Campaign Associate—a story that continues to ground him. A staff member from an organization supporting young refugees spoke about the children arriving from Afghanistan during a period of intense conflict.

“She told stories of young kids who had seen their friends killed in the war,” he says. “You sometimes forget how fortunate we are. That’s why I try to give back a little bit.”

Chris does not describe himself as spiritual, but he acknowledges believing in the basic idea of karma: that good actions contribute to a better world.

A Model of Community Leadership

On National Philanthropy Day, United Way BC is proud to honour individuals like Chris Tolhurst—people who give consistently, engage wholeheartedly, and exemplify what it means to support community in both large and small ways.

Chris’s story is a reminder that philanthropy is not defined by wealth or status. It is lived out through everyday, often modest, choices: showing up for an event, increasing a payroll donation, offering kindness to a neighbour, or believing that everyone deserves dignity and opportunity. As Chris puts it, “I think you sometimes forget how fortunate we are.”

This National Philanthropy Day, we feel fortunate to know people like Chris, with whom we are United for people in need.