Waterloo, ON
Sashreek Arunagiri
From Kitchener-Waterloo, Sashreek is a youth advocate and community leader passionate about civic engagement, social impact, and closing the gaps that too many young people fall through. As Co-Chair of the Kitchener Youth Action Council and a Youth Connector with the Children and Youth Planning Table, he's spent years learning what his community actually needs, then building toward it. That work eventually grew into initiatives of his own, like WarmWishes4Winter and STEM Rise Beyond Limits, both aimed at reaching vulnerable populations that are often overlooked. As a leader in his community, Sashreek hopes to inspire other youth to go out and fix the problems they see around them, and to show that real change is more possible than they think.
WarmWishes4Winter
WarmWishes4Winter is a charity that assembles and distributes care packages, including hand warmers, socks, beanies, gloves, emergency blankets, nylon bags, and handwritten cards, made by 90+ volunteers, to people experiencing homelessness in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. The initiative also recycles clothing sourced from community centres and schools, and uses software tools to help maximize efficient, targeted distribution based on weather conditions. WarmWishes4Winter partners with Ray of Hope and other shelters to ensure distribution safely reaches those who need it the most.
About this Project
Communities Served
My project will involve and/or impact the following communities:
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
When it comes to community impact projects, the UN has created 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These are the Sustainable Development Goals associated with my project.
How the project works
WarmWishes4Winter recycles lost and found clothing through the summer into September, while grants and donations fund additional supplies. Volunteers then handwrite cards and assemble care packages, which are distributed steadily to shelter partners starting in early October, ahead of the cold, with extra supplies delivered during the coldest winter stretches.
Project Impact
WarmWishes4Winter has distributed over 1,000 care packages this year, providing winter essentials that help hundreds of homeless people stay protected from harsh conditions that can turn dangerous, along with handwritten cards so recipients feel seen and loved. The project has also raised awareness around homelessness in Kitchener-Waterloo and inspired other youth to launch initiatives of their own.
Project Mission
WarmWishes4Winter's mission is to help people experiencing homelessness stay warmer through the harshest winter months by providing the essentials they need to stay safe and cared for. The goal is to grow this work year over year until the project can distribute enough packages to reach every person experiencing homelessness in the region, then expand to more cities in need.
Project Team
Sashreek leads a passionate team of 90+ volunteers from school clubs and community organizations.
Optional Photo Gallery
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