In 2013, I founded Aiza’s Teddybear Foundation as a way to connect my local community with the needs of vulnerable youth and low-income families around the globe. This idea was a result of my 7-year old self struggling to find youth-led organizations that did not require supporters to open their wallets to every cause. I quickly discovered that there were so many other important ways to give; your time, energy and skill sets are invaluable to service.
A year after founding, we received the Governor General’s Volunteer Award for our efforts. To date, our organization has repurposed and distributed thousands of items and devoted hundreds hours to giving back childhood to those deprived of their formative years.