Cindy Srinivasan, volunteer

When the pandemic began in 2020, Cindy, a volunteer at the Misericordia Community Hospital and Villa Caritas, saw the impact the crisis was having on patients. As the daughter of a nurse on the COVID-19 unit, she also saw the toll it was taking on healthcare workers.

In May 2021, Cindy founded the Raising Hopes Student Initiative. Its purpose was to support the healthcare providers so they, in turn, could continue helping patients.

The group started with 10 members in May 2021 and has grown to about 150 members today. Through fundraising activities and grants, the group raises money to support outreach activities that recognize the hard work of healthcare workers at Covenant Health. Activities so far include delivering Tim Hortons gift cards with appreciation notes, dropping off pens, highlighters and notepads, and distributing self-care bags to different units at the hospital.

Establishing the Raising Hope group was a labour of love and a true collaboration between Cindy and all the parties who made this effort possible. This included collaborating with her mother, whose stories inspired the project; the volunteer manager, who coordinated with the hospital’s senior management and who paved the way for the projects; groups like the Misericordia Active Youth Volunteer Group; and everyone in the group who fundraise and carry out the projects.

What began as a simple idea has given a much-needed morale boost to healthcare workers when they needed it most.