Helping Hearts: Turning Voices into Action

What if your ideas, your voice, or your passion was heard and sparked into real change? Sentinel Secondary has launched a new club that's more than just volunteering, it's the opportunity to create a real impact with your friends. Helping Hearts is the largest registered youth-led non-profit organization in BC with over a thousand youths involved and growing everyday. This organization is built on three pillars: Changemakers, Friendship, and Innovation. These pillars guide everything from projects, to events, and represent the heart of their mission.

Helping Hearts encourage students to be changemakers themselves by taking initiative that creates tangible impact. This pillar encourages students to be creative, try new approaches, and turn their vision into action. The goal is to host monthly events that will create real change within the community. In the past, Helping Hearts members have provided over 3,600 meals and assembled 2,500 care packages for those in need. This year, focusing on giving students even more opportunities to develop and lead their own projects. Whether it be fundraisers, advocacy campaigns, or hands-on service work, Helping Hearts hope to inspire members to see themselves not only as volunteers but leaders who will shape the future. 

The second pillar that drives Helping Hearts is friendship. Christopher Lee, the founder of Helping Hearts, created this organization with the value of friendship in mind; the ability to make a difference with friends and build lasting connections. Though existing friends are valuable, it is important to meet new people and expand your circle. In order to create new friendships and relationships with like minded people, Helping Hearts does many in-person activities that open doors for opportunities such as connecting with youth and building a supportive community. Helping Hearts approaches collaboration as friends working together to reach a shared goal rather than one person directing everyone, believing this approach allows students to work together effectively. 

Donut Fundraiser

Helping Hearts also places a strong emphasis on the idea that real change often comes from fresh ideas and bold thinking. That is why innovation is such a large part of what they do. Their projects aren't always just boring old donut sales or simple fundraising; rather, many of their initiatives focus on advocacy and social justice, encouraging its members to combine creativity with purpose.

An example that perfectly encapsulates this approach is the Innovate Pitch Competition. A case-competition-style event where students have the opportunity to act as problem solvers, presented with a real-world advocacy-related problem. Working in teams of 5 or less, they brainstorm, research, and develop innovative solutions that could really make a difference. This competition highlights the importance of thinking beyond traditional approaches and integrating technology, community outreach, and policy proposals to create the best solution possible. This shows how young people can push boundaries and come up with practical ways to create change.

The second iteration of the Innovate Pitch competition is being held on October 19th from 10:30am to 6:30 pm at Peter A. Allard, School of Law at UBC. The winner of this year's Innovate Pitch competition will receive a grand prize of $4000. 

If any of this interests you and you value making a difference, friendship, and creativity, you should consider joining Sentinel’s very own Helping Hearts. Meetings are on Wednesday in room 208 during lunch time. Other important information will be posted on the google classroom, code: oacmrpqq. I hope to see you soon!