Harinina: Sikhs Serving Canada

Sikhs Serving Canada

NEWS REPORT

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Sikhs Serving Canada, the parent organization of Mississauga?s Seva Food Bank, is pleased to announce the launch of the Seva Fellowship program.

It aims to bring together the diverse talents of extraordinary young people to connect, collaborate and demonstrate what is possible when working together in a diverse community. Up to five high-potential youth from the Region of Peel will be selected to create positive change by coordinating volunteer projects in their local community.

??Since opening our doors in 2010, we have seen a rising interest in the number of young volunteers from different faiths and experiences who want to create positive change in the community to address today?s most pressing issues,? remarked board member Harbaljit Singh Kahlon. ?We realized that we want to formally mobilize and invest in this next generation of young Canadian leaders. A generation that is ready to break barriers and build bridges in society.?

?In the Peel Region, many talented youth often miss opportunities to realize their full potential,? commented project coordinator Sadia Rafiquddin. ?These are youth who want to give back to their communities, who want to grow, and who have the ability to become great leaders for this region, the province of Ontario and more broadly, Canada. We want to provide this opportunity through the Seva Fellowship.?

Through a generous grant given by the?Inspirit Foundation, the first cohort of Seva Fellows will be a diverse group of exceptional young people, aged 16 to 20 years, selected from the Peel Region for an intensive five-month leadership development program.

The Seva Fellows will first create volunteer partnerships with existing, mainstream and faith-based organizations and then create their own volunteer engagement initiatives. The fellows will have ongoing leadership training, meet leaders from across different sectors and get access to mentorship opportunities. In exchange for their hard work and dedication, each of fellows will also receive an $1000 honorarium upon successful completion of the program.

The deadline for applications is February 28, 2013. For more information on the program and to download the nomination package visit www.sevafoodbank.com

The mission of Sikhs Serving Canada, a registered charitable organization, is to positively impact local communities by acting on the basic Sikh tenets of sarbat da bhalla (the well being of all) and seva (selfless service). Our first initiative is the Seva Food Bank that provides safe, nutritious and culturally-appropriate food to low- income families living in Mississauga?s L5B and L5C postal codes.

February 20, 2013