Community Partner Highlight: Human-Kind
The pandemic provided the impetus for Karim Virani, Founder of Virani Real Estate Advisors, and his daughter Alyssa to create the Human-Kind project. Karim hired five post-secondary students from the North Shore and challenged them to find ways in which they could spread kindness in their local community. They quickly settled on the issue of food security, a longstanding problem that has become even more of a crisis for many people during COVID.
Supported by mentors from the business and marketing sectors in Vancouver, the interns were able to build connections with companies like Neptune and initiate a program that provides healthy meals to households in need on the North Shore through the sale of the Human-Kind bracelet. The purchase of a beautiful bracelet, locally designed, sourced and made, funds the purchase of a healthy meal prepared by Earls Kitchen + Bar. So far, in just three months, over 1,000 meals have been delivered to people on the North Shore through partnerships with the Harvest Project, North Shore Family Services and The Lookout Shelter.
Neptune was eager to get on board as one of the program’s early supporters, both to help North Shore residents facing increased barriers during COVID as well as to support the students, who are the next generation of local leaders. Arden Thorne, a graduate from Capilano University’s Marketing program, stayed on with Virani after the internship to see the project through: “The Human-Kind project has been a game-changer for me. We took on a real challenge, developed a mission and ultimately have been successful. I am so inspired by this opportunity!”