Daniella and Chris Revitt have always called Burnaby home. Born and raised in the community, they built their lives there, raised three daughters, and continue to give back through their nonprofit, Intentional Acts of Kindness. Their story is part of a wider collection of Canada immigrant stories that remind us how family roots, kindness, and belonging are deeply connected.
At first glance, their story may seem like a familiar Canadian one. But when they reflect on their family histories, they see something deeper: generations of people who once came to Canada seeking safety, opportunity, and a better future.
Canada Immigrant Stories Across Generations
Chris is a fourth-generation Canadian with Scottish and British ancestry. The property where he and Daniella live has been in his family for generations, and their children are now the fifth generation to grow up on that land. For Chris, this history does not create a sense of entitlement. It creates gratitude and responsibility.
He recognizes that the life his family has today was shaped by the hopes and sacrifices of those who came before him. Like many families in Canada, his ancestors left familiar places behind to build something better for future generations.
Daniella’s family story carries similar themes of courage and resilience. Her grandparents came from Italy, Norway, and England. Some lived through war, loss, food shortages, and uncertainty before making Canada home. One image has always stayed with her: her grandfather arriving from England by boat with only one black trunk of belongings.
That image reminds her how much courage it takes to begin again.
Seeing Newcomers With Empathy
These stories have given Daniella a deep appreciation for people who start over in a new country. As someone who describes herself as a homebody, she can only imagine the courage it takes to leave behind language, culture, family, and familiarity in search of a new beginning.
Their reflections are a gentle reminder that Canada’s story is made up of many journeys, including the stories of newcomers supported through ISSofBC’s settlement and community programs. Some happened recently. Some happened generations ago. But beneath them are often the same hopes: safety, belonging, opportunity, and the chance to build a meaningful life.
For Daniella and Chris, stories are one of the most powerful ways to build understanding. They believe that when we listen to someone’s story, it becomes harder to see them through labels or assumptions. Behind every accent, background, or culture is a person carrying hopes, fears, sacrifices, and dreams.
Intentional Acts of Kindness
This belief is also at the heart of their nonprofit, Intentional Acts of Kindness.
Their work was inspired by a deeply personal experience. When their eldest daughter was four years old, she was diagnosed with a brain mass in her cerebellum. Their family spent a long and difficult season at BC Children’s Hospital, surrounded by fear, uncertainty, and medical care.
During that time, they received an outpouring of kindness from family, friends, and the wider community. People brought meals, gave gift cards, cared for their younger children, and offered support in ways they would never forget.
But one simple act touched Daniella in a lasting way: handmade cards from children at a local elementary school. Taped to the hospital wall, those cards became a source of comfort during long nights of worry. They did not change the diagnosis, but they offered hope. They helped her feel less alone.
That experience shaped Daniella and Chris’s belief that small acts of kindness can carry great meaning. A handmade card, a few encouraging words, or a thoughtful gesture can remind someone that they matter.
Today, through Intentional Acts of Kindness, they support schools, shelters, seniors, families, and community members facing difficult seasons. Their work is rooted in empathy, emotional support, and the belief that kindness can create bridges between people of different backgrounds and life experiences.
For Chris, giving back has strengthened his understanding of community. Whether through local outreach or international volunteer work, he has seen that people everywhere need care, dignity, and connection. For Daniella, volunteering has helped “lift the veil of division” by showing her that people from different cultures often share the same basic human needs: to feel safe, understood, valued, and connected.
Their message to newcomers and long-time Canadians is simple but powerful: belonging is something we build together.
Belonging Is Something We Build Together
Chris believes that belonging should not require people to become someone else. It grows when we choose empathy over assumption and treat one another with respect. Daniella points to the importance of perspective-taking: pausing to wonder what another person may have lived through before judging what we see on the surface.
The Revitts’ story reminds us why Canada immigrant stories matter: they help us see one another with more empathy, gratitude, and care. It is shaped by many stories, old and new, carried by families who hoped for a better life and by communities willing to make room for one another.
And sometimes, that sense of belonging begins with something very small: a listening ear, a moment of compassion, or one intentional act of kindness.
Through stories like this, ISSofBC continues to highlight the people, families, and communities helping build belonging across Canada.
