Pooja Patel is the founder of this nonprofit society ‘Miracles of Karma’. Along with her friends Pooja has been organizing food for the homeless for five years! True to her name, her prayers and endeavours are devoted to serving the hungry, the homeless, the needy. Despite having the same life challenges that all the rest of us face or more, this amazing young lady has moved mountains and taken phenomenal strides.
The power of goodness
Pooja moved from Ahmedabad to Vancouver in 2016. She was initially working as a Store Manager in the Food Industry and this experience also helped her with logistical planning of large quantities of food. Equipped with a Master’s in Public Health, she took up a job as a Social Worker for the Homeless in Vancouver. The professional relationships and connections that she built up in her work also helped her to pursue her passion. On the weekends when most regular young group of friends plan a Saturday Night Party, Pooja got together with her friends Keval Vaghasia, Riddhi Aggrawal, Kavita Thakker and others instead to chalk out her plans to ‘Feed the Homeless’ They came together at the Community Kitchen in Downtown Eastside and prepared food for a hundred and fifty people. Pooja never looked back and she has been doing this work since over five years now. They serve a variety of food including Indian food, pasta, pizza, Mexican etc. together with the help of her team of 8 people. Her organization skills are put to test each week to ensure the man power, collect the ingredients and complete initial precooking preparations. Within two or two and a half hours they prepare the food at the designated community kitchen. Those attending for the food include the homeless as well as even some students or professionals who may have fallen on hard times.
Pooja is doing tremendous work and it seems all the powers of the Universe are conspiring to help. Pooja has a huge group of volunteers and followers who all contribute time, money and support towards this work. She explains how miraculously donations pour in, she gets calls from local religious temples and Gurudwaras to collect extra food and everyday more people join her in this extraordinary work inspired and moved by her simplicity and her dedication.
Helping the Student Community
Pooja always puts her lived experiences to good use. In her student days since 2016 already she had started devising ways to assist students like her who needed assistance after moving to a new country at a young age. She has set up several WhatsApp groups to assist newly arrived international students in their basic settlement needs such as getting a SIN number, organizing a bank account and finding initial accommodation. During Covid her organization leased a home to provide the new arrivals with a safe home to fulfill the conditions of living in isolation for the first 15 days. More recently Pooja has initiated workshops and seminars to provide professional assistance to the students in creating ‘Canadian style’ resumes and in finding part time jobs to manage their expenses. For the throngs of students arriving here, she has been a Godsend lighting up the path they are meant to carve for themselves. Needless to say, Pooja never fails to offer ‘tiffin’ and food sources for the students too. In addition she organizes low cost or free events and meetups particularly to celebrate Indian festivals to help the newcomers combat social isolation and loneliness.
‘Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve’
Pooja’s work is unquestionably inspiring. She is lifting up an entire generation of immigrants in her city by providing a much-needed support system and vital information sources. She is utilizing modern day networking tools and technology to fulfill the needs of students from our community. She believes in paying it forward and invites everyone to join her. If you would like to donate money or in kind support for her work or if you would like to donate your time please do contact Pooja Patel. Her unassuming persona and warm glow of goodness will engulf you with positivity as you witness the Miracles of good Karma.
On February 23rd she is organizing a Newcomers/Students’ welcome event at the Bonsor Complex in Burnaby from 2 pm to 5 pm so join Pooja Patel and unlock opportunities.
Visit their website https://www.miraclesofkarma.org/ to know more about them
