He’s the youngest in the parking lot and the quickest on his feet. Rayyan, age 13, started volunteering at HWF less than six months after immigrating to Canada from India, in the middle of winter. How little did he know about the biting cold in January in Ottawa. “I thought I would be fine with my warmest jacket from India”, he chuckles.

A bright, engaging young man, he quickly settled in his neighborhood’s high school and set out to complete his mandatory volunteering hours. But he had trouble finding a place that wouldn’t be too far from home. He only had a bike and an OC-Transpo pass to get about.

When Rayyan, his mother and two sisters moved apartments in early summer, they found themselves in need of some basic items to furnish their new home and limited resources to draw from. That’s where the magic happened, for both HWF and Rayyan. From the stock of donated furniture at HWF, Rayyan’s family found exactly what they needed to support their new life in Ottawa. And in Rayyan, HWF found the most dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer there is.

“I am here every Wednesday night to collect furniture donations and help clients load their new belongings, he says proudly. I have met so many people and am so grateful to count them as friends. I even got a student job offer!”

But enough talking. Rayyan springs to his feet and runs off to help a couple struggling to load a sofa on their truck. Catch him if you can! – this young man will go far and HWF is privileged to count him among our more than 200 volunteers who help furnish homes and change lives in Ottawa.

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