When a group of Johnston Heights Secondary students started noticing issues in their community, they realized something had to be done, and that is when the Loose Leaf Project idea was born. <\/p>\n
Co-president of Loose Leaf Kashvi Sheoran said that she and two fellow Johnston Heights students were noticing kids in their school who were going without lunch, as well as other people in their community who were also experiencing food insecurity. They also noticed there were many unhoused individuals lacking access to clothing and basic hygiene products. <\/p>\n
Together the three students decided they wanted to do something about it, and almost a year later, the Loose Leaf non-profit was formed. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe as students saw these issues every day and we were really passionate about trying to make a change,\u201d said Sheoran. <\/p>\n
Since its inception in late 2025, Loose Leaf has extended its work through many initiatives, ranging from community dinners and clothing drives to women\u2019s empowerment fairs and, most recently, backpacks for students heading back to school. <\/p>\n
Sheoran shared the dinner, which took place in December 2025, was designed to bring people together over a warm meal, while also addressing food insecurity in the Guildford area. About 200 people attended, with the entire event made possible through donations, she said.<\/p>\n
For the students, addressing community needs is about more than just providing a service. They shared that they want their events to create opportunities for people to connect with one another. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a country made up of immigrants, and when you first come here, (some immigrants) don\u2019t have family and don\u2019t have that circle, especially during the dark and gloomy winters,\u201d said Sheoran.<\/p>\n
A similar philosophy carried into the non profit\u2019s Women\u2019s Empowerment Fair on June 27. <\/p>\n
Sheoran shared this event offered free makeup, hair, clothing and skincare products, with two skincare brands even sponsoring the event. Women had the chance to browse clothes and take home a bag of items, while other youth-led nonprofits were invited to set up booths and introduce attendees to their own work, she shared.<\/p>\n
Jasleen Mangat, another co-president for the non-profit, told Peace Arch News they were only expecting about 30 people to attend the fair, but nearly 100 individuals showed up. <\/p>\n
\u201cMakeup is so expensive nowadays and so are skincare products,\u201d noted Sheoran. \u201cWe gave women a chance to uplift themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Loose Leaf\u2019s work has also extended beyond events. <\/p>\n
Loose Leaf founder and co-president Van Anh Phan shared they had a clothing drive in March and late April. With the help of Sullivan Heights, Guildford Park and their own school, this clothing drive supported unhoused people in the surrounding community. <\/p>\n
Together, the three schools collected about 3,000 pieces of clothing, which the students distributed to local shelters. <\/p>\n
Pham said that 600 hygiene care packages were also assembled and distributed during the clothing drive. These packages included pads, tampons, face wash and other personal-care products, with the goal to support women experiencing period poverty.<\/p>\n
The most recent project this nonprofit is set for is helping students prepare for the upcoming school year. <\/p>\n
Loose Leaf recently launched an initiative alongside LearnGo to provide backpacks and school supplies to students and families on Vancouver Island. <\/p>\n
Mangat notes that school supplies can be expensive and the group wants to help address some of the gaps that students and schools face. <\/p>\n
As the students now head into Grade 12, they are already looking beyond graduation. <\/p>\n
Sheoran shared the co-presidents hope to continue Loose Leaf\u2019s work after graduating in 2027, with the goal of building a community that addresses overlooked issues and reaches the people who need support most.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to give help to the people that need it the most and reach the right audiences,\u201d she said. \u201cWe love to build towards providing other youth and other fellow peers with a space where they can come to us with whatever issues they may have and think it\u2019s not possible for us to help because we are just youth but we want to show we can provide a safe and welcoming space and make an impact,\u201d Phan said.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the students say the biggest reward isn\u2019t recognition or anything they receive in return. <\/p>\n
\u201cEven if there\u2019s no reward in these things, just seeing those people smile, knowing that you help someone at the end of the day will have that sense of achievement,\u201d Sheoran explained.<\/p>\n
For three Johnston Heights students, that sense of achievement has already turned one conversation into a growing network of youth-led community action. <\/p>\n
Learn more about the Loose Leaf Project on Instagram at loose_leaf_project<\/a>. <\/p>\n