Lincoln Dugas-Nishisato

- Founder and Leader, The Sunflower Project - a youth action project to send essential supplies to the frontlines in Ukraine

- I applied for and was awarded the inaugural International Baccalaureate Youth Action Fund Grant for US$2700 which funded shipment of a 40-foot container from Toronto to Ukraine

- Created volunteer opportunities for 30 students who assisted in organizing and packing supplies

- The grant application was rigorous and required writing four essays, creating a slideshow and video presentation, and obtained a letter from school expressing their confidence in my ability to lead and execute on my goals

- I recruited volunteers, initiated a drive for donations, reached out to local companies, spoke at assemblies, created a social media account, and was featured on the school’s website and in

newsletters

- Months later, the container reached Ukraine,

and charitable partners in Eastern Ukraine distributed donations to soldiers, hospitals, medical centers, orphanages, schools, charities, churches, and families in need

- For the first time in my life I was able to lead a major project that was outside my comfort zone and that made a difference in the world

- Raised $10,000 for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, a world leading children’s research hospital, by creating and hosting "Cooking for Kids", a series of online cooking classes featuring unique recipes and celebrity guest chefs

- I conceived these classes during the pandemic and lockdown as a way of continuing my fundraising for Holland Bloorview even as people were isolating at home

- I whipped up desserts such as Empire Cookies, Lava Cake, and Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Holland Bloorview introduced me to Toronto Maple Leafs player, Auston Matthews, and I created my signature dish, the "Austiramisu" (which he said was his favourite desert)

- Longos, a Canadian supermarket chain, heard about my Cooking for Kids classes, and became my first-ever corporate sponsor, allowing me to hold social-distance friendly online classes in

their top-end kitchen

- For many years, I have prepared and delivered meals (pasta bakes, chili, lasagna, etc.) for Elisa House Women’s Shelter, Women’s Habitat Women’s Shelter, Youth Without Shelter, Ernestine’s Women’s

Shelter, Anduhyaun and Nekenaan First Nations Women’s Shelters, LAMP Community Health Centre, Haven on the Queensway

- Sorted and packed 1000s of pounds of hockey gear for First Nations fly-in communities

- Packed rice meals for international and domestic distribution to food banks for Kids Against Hunger

- Staffed the Ve'ahavta Mobile Outreach Van that distributes clothing, food, and essentials to people living on the street from 6:00pm to beyond midnight

- Participated in successfully advertisement campaign for Ve'ahavta

- Packed harm reduction kits for drug users and other clients of Ve'aha'vta

- Created and donated sandwiches, cookies, and fruit bags to Ve'ahavta for distribuion to the homeless

- Devoted over 100 hours packing emergency kits to be sent to international disaster zones, including

water filtration and hygiene kits, and packaged food supplies

- Facilitated school groups volunteering at GlobalMedic to provide essential support in times of crisis

- Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign – manned the donation Kettle annually for many years

- Salvation Army Toy Distribution – sorted toys, escorted parents to select toys for children

- Salvation Army Food Bank – sorted donated food for families

- Coldest Night of the Year charitable walk - raised over $10,000 over many years - #1 fundraiser each year

- Supported mobile outreach van preparing cooked meals, chili, sandwiches, snacks, and drinks to be distributed to homeless people

- Lead donations from my school and community to obtain clothing, food, and books to Haven on The Queensway

- Sponsored and supported two Syrian refugee families (met them at airport, taught children English, helped introduce them to Canada, took them to Canada’s Wonderland and fairs, introduced them to Premier Doug Ford, etc.)

- Annually purchased, packed, and delivered around 300 school backpacks and supplies for kids

in shelters and outreach programs (Youth Without Shelter, Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter, Women’s Habitat Women’s Shelter, Jean Tweed Centre, LAMP Community Health Centre, Nekenaan First Nation’s Women’s Shelter, Haven on The Queensway)

- Collected, packed, and delivered toiletries and clothing to women’s shelters, responded to emergency needs/requests

- Prepared lunches for homeless, and prepared and served dinners for the homeless as part of St. Matthew’s Church’s Out of The Cold program

- Prepared and served Christmas dinner to families in outreach program of Women’s Habitat, also to newcomers to Canada at Rexdale Alliance Church