Local outreach group hands out 200 winter care packages to vulnerable communities in Waterloo Region

Students of a Cambridge outreach group passed out gloves, hats, hand warmers, toiletries and food items Saturday to those experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region.

"It's kind of a winter care package as we call it, to bridge some of the needs that are out there," said Outreach Coordinator at Radha Krishna Mandir and Cultural Centre, Prakash Narine.

It’s all part of an outreach effort led by a group of students at the Cambridge Hindu temple.

"As Hindus, we believe in something called Seva which means selfless service so it's the opportunity for us to do something for the less fortunate in this case," he said.

It comes just before the holidays, a time that typically also brings chillier temperatures.

“I think practicing selfless service is part of our culture and how we grew up, we knew how to complete these actions," student Yashmita Narine said.

Two hundred packages filled with food and winter care items were prepared and fully funded by the students at the temple. Each package is worth roughly $50.

The group made their way around the region Saturday afternoon, handing out the packages to vulnerable communities.

"That's one of the Christmas gifts that the residents here will be receiving on Christmas day,” said Kitchen Manager at Bridges Shelter, Moe Vidotto. “This group has been so kind and generous to us over the years."

The temple hopes that this effort will inspire similar acts of kindness and foster a sense of unity within the community.

"More and more people need stuff. So many people are just working and need things especially at this time of year when it starts getting cool," said volunteer Raj Ramkissoon.

"I think the most everyone can do to help is just reach out, which is what we're doing," student Jhanavi Jatindranauth said.

The group did a similar act back in November during Diwali.

"The actual high school kids, they all came together [and] they made the meals right here and they distributed 400 meals within the region to the shelters and the homeless in the area," Narine said.

The outreach group will continue their efforts in helping people experiencing homelessness. They encourage people to make donations on their website as well as to local organizations and shelters when possible.

"We do typically about four events per year and so we'll do it in the spring, we'll do it in the summer and we tend to do these two again," Narine said.