Volunteer Week – Project In-kind
Posted on Thursday, April 22nd, 2021
This week is Global Volunteer Week, a week where we examine the different ways that we can help give back to the community. Support is needed now more than ever, and Algonquin College is always looking for different ways that we can lend a hand within the City. Algonquin College has partnered with Kind Village Inc. to launch Project In-Kind: Campus Edition in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and local communities experiencing the impacts of COVID-19.
Together, the partners will activate 20,000+ students, staff, and faculty across Algonquin College’s campuses and support over 500 charities and non-profit organizations in an experiential learning and community support effort.
Meet our Project In-Kind Ambassadors!
Ahmad Alalawani
What motivated you to become an AC – PIK Ambassador?
I was motivated to become an AC – PIK Ambassador through the pandemic when I noticed that it is crucial at this time to spread positivity and stay engaged in the College community.
What does volunteering mean to you?
Volunteering is about finding a bigger purpose to work on and eventually grow and learn as a result. Each and every one of us matter for what responsibility we can take.
How do you incorporate ‘In-Kind’ giving into your College life?
I learned that even through a worldwide pandemic, it is still possible to give back to the community by solving problems and finding solutions.
What SDGs of the UN SDGs are the most meaningful to you?
Responsible Production and Consumption; Peace and Justice promotes inclusive societies and ensures inclusive and quality education.
Fernanda Landim
What motivated you to become an AC – PIK Ambassador?
I was an active member of Algonquin College’s Volunteer Team and I was very glad to receive the invitation to become a PIK Ambassador at the beginning of their partnership with AC. It shows that I am making a positive impact on my community and that I can spread the word and invite more people to become in-kind Ambassadors.
What does volunteering mean to you?
It means taking care of other people by donating goods or by donating your own time to participate in activities and fundraisers.
How do you incorporate ‘In-Kind’ giving into your College life?
I give my skills and my time to help my peers. I am always available to give feedback or to answer questions about the assignments. In addition, I am currently working as a Specialized Tutor with a student who has disabilities.
What SDGs of the UN SDGs are the most meaningful to you?
I believe they are all important and that all the SDGs fit together like a perfect puzzle. However, since I have to choose: Quality Education, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Gagan Deep
What motivated you to become an AC – PIK Ambassador?
There are several reasons, but one of the main reasons was to do something for the community and be a change leader. Another reason is that I always love to help people, therefore it was a great opportunity.
What does volunteering mean to you?
Volunteering is a way to connect with the people in the community and work together to achieve a common goal.
How do you incorporate ‘In-Kind’ giving into your College life?
The best way to incorporate ‘In-Kind’ with college life is giving back to the community by helping students, by teaching other students, by donating food, and so many other ways.
What SDGs of the UN SDGs are the most meaningful to you?
All the 17 SDSs are important, but Quality Education has some special meaning to me because I believe that everyone must be given the right to education as it can provide so many opportunities for people to grow and do wonders with their lives.
Geraldine Esparza
What motivated you to become an AC – PIK Ambassador?
The idea of being able to make a difference with little acts of kindness, and the multiplying effect of the project.
What does volunteering mean to you?
Volunteering is an opportunity to give back to my community, to make others’ lives easier. It is also an opportunity to meet and learn from people.
How do you incorporate ‘In-Kind’ giving into your College life?
I try to check on my classmates, especially on those that I know are struggling. I always try to keep my camera on in every class to make it easier for professors. I take the time to write positive comments during the Zoom classes and congratulate my peers when they’ve done a great job.
What SDGs of the UN SDGs are the most meaningful to you?
Sustainable Cities and Communities is one of the most important because if we can achieve this, it will cascade and have a positive impact on all the other SDGs.
Harjashan Singh
What motivated you to become an AC – PIK Ambassador?
I have done volunteer work at the College a lot, but without any goal or objective. AC-PIK was a unique project where we knew what we are working towards and how it will help to achieve something which will improve the place we live in.
What does volunteering mean to you?
Volunteering is helping people and receiving a great sense of joy within. I don’t do volunteer work to show someone else, I do it for myself. I feel really happy when I contribute something and it brings a smile to the faces of others.
How do you incorporate ‘In-Kind’ giving into your College life?
I have always actively volunteered in different types of activities. So, I always try to just get involved in different activities and try my best to give back in whatever way I can.
What SDGs of the UN SDGs are the most meaningful to you?
I think No Hunger is the one which I feel most connected to. Since I was a child, I always believed that no matter what happens, one should not sleep without having a meal.
Rhea Sabatine
What motivated you to become an AC – PIK Ambassador?
I became a PIK volunteer after working with them in SLiDE. Once my position ended at SLiDE, I continued volunteering with them because of how much I loved what they were doing for the community. The PIK program motivates me to be a better person every single day.
What does volunteering mean to you?
Volunteering means offering your own services to any organization in order to help improve their program. In this case, I offer my creative skills to help create social media for a non-profit that is helping the world.
How do you incorporate ‘In-Kind’ giving into your College life?
I look for ways to incorporate ‘In-Kind’ giving as often as I can. From simple things like sharing new and informative research with my followers on social media, to doing as much as I can to help the environment regularly.
What SDGs of the UN SDGs are the most meaningful to you?
The SDGs that are most meaningful to me are Good Health and Well-Being, Life on Land, and Gender Equality.
Vrushank Shah
What motivated you to become an AC – PIK Ambassador? 
I wanted to work with diverse people and create a team that can boost up and enhance the community’s lives. To become an ambassador is an opportunity to do an incredible service and try to motivate other people to do the same.
What does volunteering mean to you?
Volunteering allows me to understand the life of different people and how we can contribute our time and skills. Volunteering is a social activity that can also help us to develop some social skills and expand our network. Developing new skills, discovering new passions, gaining new insights about ourselves and the world around us, that’s what volunteering covers, and we can learn about different organizations and fields and we can empower ourselves to become better humans in today’s world.
How do you incorporate ‘In-Kind’ giving into your College life?
In college life, I promote this good cause activity with my friends and other students through my different social media platforms and try to motivate them to contribute their time and skills to do the same. I give them information about how such a small effort and care can change other people’s lives so that they join the Project In-Kind team, be a part of a good cause, and become an ambassador which can develop their personal skills too.
What SDGs of the UN SDGs are the most meaningful to you?
All UN SDGs are meaningful to me, but these are some meaningful goals that I like most: Gender Equality, Good Education, and No Poverty. If we teach and improve their knowledge with good education, then there would be less gender equality issues and less poverty. Zero Hunger is one of the best goals which I try to do through my social activities in community. My motto in life is ‘if one person can feed one living thing in their day-to-day life, then in time, there will be no animals or human beings who will die due to hunger.’
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