Care packages delivered with compassion, enthusiasm

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This article was published 26/04/2021 (2009 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the six years since she moved to Canada, volunteering has become a key part of Divya Sharma’s life.

“It didn’t take long for me to realize how important being compassionate and empathetic and giving of your time is in the Canadian culture,” says the 16-year-old, who was born in Punjab, India.

A Grade 11 student at Fort Richmond Collegiate, Divya is making a difference in the lives of people across the country thanks to a project she started that delivers care packages to front-line workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Divya started the project in March 2020.

“My dad’s a truck driver and my uncle in India is a doctor, so I got to see firsthand what the families of front-line workers had to go through,” she says. “I really wanted to do something about it.”

Divya approached the Assiniboine Credit Union and Bank of Montreal, who agreed to support the project. She added some of her own savings and enlisted her parents and brother to help buy non-perishable food items and treats for 50 care packages, which were distributed to truck drivers and police officers.

The appreciation Divya received in response spurred her on to further action.

“I knew I had to expand a little bit bigger,” she says. “I just wanted to do a little bit more.”

Divya applied for a grant from Rising Youth, a program funded by the federal government that helps youth develop life skills by giving back to their communities.

She used the $750 she received to create 250 packages, which she distributed to front-line workers at Victoria General Hospital and Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg at the end of July.

At that point, Divya was concerned about how the pandemic was impacting front-line workers in other provinces. With the help of a mentor she connected with through Rising Youth, Divya applied for — and received — a $5,000 grant.

Along with the grant, Divya was connected to a group of about 30 youth from across Canada who are helping her with the project.

To date, they have distributed 16,000 care packages across the nation.

In addition, Divya volunteers as a member of her school’s student council.

She is a mentor with CanU, an enrichment program for youth, and she’s coached the grades 7/8 basketball team at Acadia Junior High.

An aspiring lawyer, Divya is in the midst of starting an organization for young people who are interested in studying law.

The organization will host events where high school and university students can hear from lawyers and professors about how they can work toward their career goals.

Divya’s efforts have led to her being chosen for Honour 150.

Presented by Canada Life in conjunction with the celebration of Manitoba’s 150th anniversary, Honour 150 recognizes 150 people from across the province who have contributed significantly to the community.

Each honouree received a commemorative medal designed and created by Manitoba artist Takashi Iwasaki, and Canada Life made a $500 donation to the charity of each honouree’s organization of choice.

Divya chose CanU.

“I really look forward to connecting to all the people who have also won, because ultimately, they’ve done the same thing as me — or even greater things than me — and I seek to learn from them,” she says.

“I just really hope to go on the path they’ve taken in terms of always giving back, and being a leader and an example for young people like me.”

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com