Nebiyou Timotewos, a third-year student studying global political studies with a minor in human rights and equity studies, understands that a small act of kindness goes a long way. It’s the driving philosophy behind his youth-led volunteer organization, Communities Care.
In April 2024, he organized the first “Kindness Drive” to help 150 children. They provided “Kindness Kits” to youth who needed it most. The kits included necessities such as feminine hygiene products, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and wipes. He also included kindness notes –– positive messages –– with each kit.
“Seeing the impact [it] had on the people and youth made me realize how a simple act of kindness can go a long way,” Timotewos shares. The idea for Communities Care began with a simple promise he made to himself when his own family was facing hardships.
Timotewos was living in Yemen, where his father was the head of the Ethiopian embassy when the war began. After they helped about 6,000 people evacuate, his own family evacuated too. They lived in Ireland temporarily before immigrating to Canada.
In 2016, after arriving in Canada, their family of seven stayed in a shelter “for six months in one room, relying on community donations for food and healthcare.
“I remember wearing my sister’s donated jacket to school, and many students made fun of me for wearing a girl’s jacket. So, I started wearing shirts and shorts and told people I wasn’t cold when, in reality, it was because we couldn’t afford proper clothing,” Timotewos tells Excalibur.
“When we left the shelter in July 2017, I made a video on Snapchat, saying that one day I
would come back and help the kids there so that no other youth would have to go
through what I had,” he adds. Today, Timotewos continues to fulfill that promise to himself and the communities around him.
For his 20th birthday in October last year, Timotewos decided to celebrate by delivering 200 Kindness Kits through Communities Care, along with additional student volunteers from York, to youth at Moss Park.
The Women in Law Association (WILA), a York undergraduate student club that advocates for and creates professional development opportunities for women interested in the legal field, supported the initiative. Together, with Communities Care, they packed Kindness Kits in Vari Hall and distributed them along with hot meals in Moss Park.
Cassandra Harvey, the founding president of WILA and a third-year student in criminology and law & society, says, “I have known Neb for a short amount of time and I thought we could combine our teams and pull off an amazing event that gives back to the community.”
Timotewos shares, “We took the time to get to know those facing homelessness and shared the day with them. I know that people going through hard issues like homelessness may not have had a reason to celebrate for a long time, so I decided to spend my day with them so they could celebrate with me.”
Nardos Mekonnen, a volunteer and a first-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration at the Schulich School of Business, tells Excalibur, “When I first started volunteering with Communities Care it was because I wanted to support Nebiyou and Communities Care. Then it was because of the feeling of joy you get when helping out someone in need and changing their day, week, and maybe life.”
Since its inception, Communities Care has achieved significant milestones such as delivering 1,500 Kindness Kits and 750 meals. They have helped over 2,000 youth with the support of over 50 volunteers in Canada and Ethiopia. It is entirely run by youth volunteers and relies on the generous support and donations from various corporate, religious, and community organizations.
To learn more about how to get involved, send an email to communitiescareorg@gmail.com, or visit www.communitiescare.org or @communitiescare on Instagram.
