A Grade 12 student at North Delta’s Seaquam Secondary is among 31 people and one group from across the province who will be awarded the Medal of Good Citizenship during a virtual ceremony this Thursday (March 24).
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| 2021 Medal of Good Citizenship recipient Aditi Kini. (Province of British Columbia photo) |
Aditi Kini and her fellow 2021 honourees are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to the well-being of their respective communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are proud to honour these British Columbians who have demonstrated themselves to be extraordinary individuals,” Premier John Horgan said in a press release. “Each one of them has been singled out by their peers for their tremendous generosity, kindness and selfless acts of service during one of the most challenging times in our province and around the world.”
According to bio accompanying Tuesday’s press release, Kini has helped several communities impacted by COVID-19 through her implementation of more than 17 service-related projects over the past year, and in the process “raising around $50,000 to help hundreds of individuals and families in the Black, Indigenous and People of Colour community, Indigenous youth in Northern B.C., school districts, the BC SPCA, hospitals, homeless shelters and single moms across across B.C.”
For instance, the Surrey resident partnered with the Surrey BC SPCA to accommodate the increase in abandoned animals during the pandemic. Kini mobilized a team of youth who worked tirelessly to purchase quality food and other items and find suitable storage sheds to help prevent food wastage.
When Kini learned that COVID restrictions meant hospitals were not allowing visitors to see patients, impacting their mental health and recovery, she purchased, designed, packed and delivered entertainment packages consisting of puzzles, sudoku and word searches, among other things, to keep patients at Royal Columbian Hospital happy and their minds engaged.
Closer to home, Kini started a sandwich-making initiative at Seaquam Secondary to provide meals for the homeless.
Sandwich making club that runs every second week where students make sandwiches for our homeless and vulnerable citizens. This act of kindness is an important lesson for all of our students.@deltasd37 pic.twitter.com/AJRCyJ8dcJ
— Seaquam Sec School (@SeaquamSec) March 11, 2022
When she was 16, Kini set up a not-for-profit organization called The New Horizons Foundation, whose first global initiative was to raise funds to provide e-learning opportunities and basic sanitary supplies to 12 schools in Southern India in order to encourage girls to attend school. Since then, Kini has built several networks with partner charitable organizations to support her post-pandemic cause.
Kini currently mentors and guides youth to identify opportunities to make a difference and connects them with organizations that require support.
“She is a role model for reflected servant leadership, exceptional attitude and perseverance. She inspires people around her to never stop giving,” the bio reads.
The virtual Medal of Good Citizenship ceremony will be livestreamed on YouTube at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 24.
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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Thirty-one B.C. residents and one group are set to receive the Medal of Good Citizenship for their outstanding contributions to the well-being of their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic during a virtual ceremony on Thursday, March 24, 2022. (Province of British Columbia/flickr.com photo)
