Seven-year-old Suhaandeep Gill has been a busy little Valentine.
For weeks, he’s been talking to friends and relatives about his new year’s resolution. He wanted to show some love to those he’s believes need it the most — the unhoused people he sees at street corners and other hangouts while he and his family drive around Abbotsford, Mission and Maple Ridge.
Gill is in Grade 2 at a school in Maple Ridge, and the family lives between homes in each of the other cities. His dad, Dr. Sunny Gill, has a medical practice in Abbotsford, too.
So the young family feels they have close ties to all three communities, and wanted to show some love to all their neighbours.
He and his mom, Sandy, put their heads together and decided to fill bags with some of the necessities of life, plus some little treats. They filled large plastic zip containers with toiletries, notebooks, pens, socks and candies. Each one of those bags went into a Valentine’s-Day themed gift bag, and was delivered with love to a shelter in each of the cities.
In Abbotsford, they delivered dozens of “Care Love” bags to Cyrus Centre, which houses young people who need a roof over their heads. In Maple Ridge, they delivered to Ridge Meadows Ministries at the Salvation Army. And in Mission, they delivered to Haven in the Hollow.
When the young boy got to the Cyrus Centre, he eagerly carried bags into the lobby and met with the staff there. They posed for photos and they thanked him for his kindness.
He said one of the reasons he wanted to do the project was because it’s part of his Sikh religion to give to others. And even though his shyness kept him from speaking up much at the drop offs, his smile grew as the staff said goodbye and thanked him again.
“Helping others was on the top of his resolution list,” his mom said. “And we see a lot of homeless people as we are driving here and there around all the cities. He wanted to something extra special.”
READ MORE: Single on Valentine’s Day? Don’t worry, we got you
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Suhaandeep and Sandy Gill at Cyrus Centre in Abbotsford, with youth workers Michaela Stanley (left) and Riley McKay (back) and director Melissa Johnson. (Jessica Peters/Abbotsford News)
Suhaandeep Gill spent last week delivering special treat bags to shelters in Abbotsford, Maple Ridge and Mission. (Jessica Peters/Abbotsford News)
Suhaandeep and Sandy Gill live in Abbotsford and Mission, and he goes to school in Maple Ridge. The two spent last week delivering special treat bags to shelters in all three cities. (Jessica Peters/Abbotsford News)
Suhaandeep and Sandy Gill carry Valentine’s Day bags into Cyrus Centre in Abbotsford, to be given out to the youth who stay there. (Jessica Peters/Abbotsford News)
Suhaandeep and Sandy Gill live in Abbotsford and Mission, and he goes to school in Maple Ridge. The two spent last week delivering special treat bags to shelters in all three cities. (Jessica Peters/Abbotsford News)
