Meet the Team

Johnny Bui, Founder/Executive Director of JB Heart to Heart Foundation, was born in Vietnam where he had firsthand experience of a life with poverty and hunger. This was normal life for Johnny and the only life he knew.

Johnny's father fled Vietnam in 1989 in hopes of a better life for his family in Canada. It was not until 1993 Johnny and the rest of his family was granted access into Canada through the aid and help of John Wind of the Christian Life Assembly Church in Langley. Johnny went back to Vietnam in 2007 for the first time since his arrival to Canada. During this visit to see his aging Grandpa, Johnny again witnessed and experienced the daily struggles of poverty and hunger that still plagued Vietnam. Through this experience emerged Johnny's passion to make a change for those that go hungry every day. After this realization, Johnny came back to Canada and saw that even though the degree of poverty is different in both countries, the issue of famine and hunger is still visible across the world. After being given opportunities for a successful life in Canada, Johnny feels strongly about helping through his success in Canada and carrying it forward back to his home country, Vietnam, to those who need it.

Having this thought in mind, Johnny decide that he wanted to pursue a life where he could make a difference in the famine that touched the places that he called home. After graduating from Langley Secondary School in 2004, Johnny pursued his career as a hairstylist within the community. In 2011, this he was fortunate enough to come across an opportunity to open his own hair salon. In 2012, this opportunity came to life and JB Salon was opened with Johnny. Through his salon, Johnny sponsored many local community projects such as The Children's Hospital and the Langley School District for education. During the contributions he made to his community, Johnny realized that he had the power to make a difference. With this, his dream started becoming ideas and these ideas started becoming reality. In 2014, the JB Heart To Heart Foundation was launched. Through this foundation Johnny wanted to tackle the issues he held close to his heart, famine and hunger. In 2015, JB Heart to Heart Foundation was officially registered Canada Charity.

Not only is Johnny passionate about giving back to the community but his team and family of JB Salon support his vision and admire his ambition. Hunger is something that cannot be abolished but to have the ability to help a community whether big or small is a cause we all have the heart to share.

Jerry grew up in a working class family in Taiwan and came to Canada as a child, on his own. He was fascinated by the Canadian culture. Having gone through school in Canada, Jerry learned a lot about the culture through interesting experiences with friends, homesaty, and teachers. Through these experiences, Jerry learned how to be independent and build relationships through kindness. Jerry is a very motivated and driven individual, who has a passion for learning.

Throughout his life, he has traveled to many different countries where he has seen poverty and hunger. Through these travels, Jerry has realized the opportunity that he has been given. Along with this, Jerry has a background in business accounting and marketing. These experiences drive Jerry's goal to take what he learned, from his education and life experience, and contribute it to community organizations that provide help and support for the underprivileged.

"This world is one big family and there is no difference from one person to the next. We need to support and help each other. The more capability a person has the more responsibility they carry. Don't just give them a fish, teach them how to fish."

Nicole has been a teacher in the Langley School District for 20 years, 19 of those spent at Langley Secondary School, near the centre of Langley City. She started out as a Social Studies/English teacher but moved to working with students with special educational needs in fairly short order, in particular with students with learning disabilities, mental health issues, chronic health conditions and autism. Prior to that, Nicole held numerous jobs, but the ones that resonated most with her were the ones where she worked at a program supervisor/instructor at a vocational rehabilitation society for persons with mental health designations, as well as some years working as a music therapist, working primarily with geriatrics and people with intellectual disabilities.

From her various work experiences and her time at Langley Secondary School, which serves the downtown core of Langley City, Nicole has witnessed the effects that poverty and disadvantage have had on her clients and students, and has developed a strong commitment to working towards equal opportunity in education and employment for all people who strive for it. She has been involved in various initiatives throughout her teaching career, and now that her children are more independent is eager to look for opportunities to serve in a volunteer capacity, joining with an organization that shares her belief system. As a friend and former teacher of Johnny Bui, founder of the JB Heart to Heart Foundation, she is confident that the Foundation exists for all the right reasons. Just as in her classroom, she believes that you fill the empty stomachs first, and then you go about the business of education, so as to move towards self-sufficiency – very much in line with the Foundation’s goals.

Donna Barlow has always been interested in helping and nurturing children. She worked at a summer camp in her teens as a cook. The children who came to the camp were supported by many Union’s throughout B.C.

When Donna worked for the Ministry of Environment, she was part of the Provincial Employee Community Services Fund. They collected donations for many charity’s, she enjoyed this position very much as she visited many of the charity’s and saw how they were set up, how the money was spent etc.

Donna has four grandchildren who keep herself and her husband very busy.