Remember your school days?

How exciting the back to school time used to be!

Summer break is always fun but kids are always excited to go back to school and meet their friends and class mates. But what they are waiting for most is a new backpack, new lunch box and lots of school supplies.

While this is a happy time for many students, it can be a tough time and a difficult purchase for many students and their families.

If we look at Toronto District School Board, which is Canada’s largest school board or Peel District School Board which is most diverse, one in every three children lives in poverty.

We know, it is a painful stat.

According to a survey, the dropout risk for students is much higher in low-income communities.

Students from single parent families are more disadvantaged as they are not equipped with essential school supplies and in many cases proper winter gear. (More than 80% of single parent families are headed by women).

INI-SHE-ATIVE CANADA strives to support disadvantaged families and students at the start of the school year by providing new backpacks and school supplies in order to provide them with a level playing field and ability to grow and succeed.

We start the Drive by giving out a list of items needed the most to our donors. The collection is always huge and we are able to put a smile on many children’s faces as they get ready to go back to school but the need is even huge.

We plan to make it one of the biggest Back to School drives in Ontario by collaborating with various school boards and businesses who can donate items at whole sale prices.

If you are a business who would like to donate new items, please contact us and join us in helping the underprivileged children get on the road to success and break the cycle of poverty.

Canadian Winters can be brutal. It is unimaginable for many of us to survive without proper winter gear.

It is a sad reality that many underprivileged families, financially distressed single mothers and newly arrived refugees from war- torn countries struggle through the winters without proper warm clothes and winter boots.

Not to forget the homeless who battle the elements under tarp, in tents or cardboard boxes.

We run a massive Winter Coat Drive every year which spans many cities in the GTA and suburbs.

We collect brand new gloves, hats and socks and gently used winter coats, jackets and boots. We support women shelters, youth shelters, refugee organizations, homeless and anybody who reaches out with a request.

We collaborate with mosques, churches, temples and gurdawaras to help them provide warm clothing to families they serve.

Our focus is on children and especially school age children who walk to school. We make sure every request for children’s coats and boots is fulfilled even if we have to raise funds for it and buy new stuff.

Our Winter Drive is a huge undertaking and dozens of volunteers at various drop off locations take part in sorting , packing and labelling the packages with sizes, matching the requirement of families in need.

We collect in-kind donations for our Drives but we need funds for Winter Survival kits for the Homeless and Winter Kits for School Children all winter long.

As more and more volunteers and donors are joining us every year in this heartwarming drive, it is getting bigger and better and we are able to reach more and more people who need warm clothes.

If you want to join us in sharing the warmth of kindness in cold months please don’t waste a minute in filling out the Volunteer Form. We would love to have you on board.

Eid-ul-Fitr is a religious festival that billions of Muslims around the world celebrate after Ramadan which is a month of fasting, reflection and gratitude.

It is a time of joy and happiness when families and friends gather over lavish feasts and exchange gifts and sweets. But the real message behind this festival is to be grateful for what we have and to share with those who may be less fortunate.

We run an Eid Gift Drive every year in all GTA and many other cities in Ontario sending toys, sweets and new clothes to underprivileged members of the community. The Drive runs throughout Ramadan and most volunteers are fasting from dawn to dusk but they still take time out for collection, wrapping and packaging of gifts.

Beautifully wrapped gift baskets are prepared for women and children in shelters and transitional homes, for refugee families and senior homes.

It is a joyous time of festivities and we do our best to spread the happiness. Our doors are always open. Join us as a donor or a volunteer.

Please subscribe to our Newsletter to get updates about our latest Drives and Projects.

INI-SHE-ATIVE Toy Drive is a happy time for sure.

Donors enjoy buying toys, volunteers enjoy packing them and children are all smiles after receiving them.

We run two Toy Drives every year, one around Christmas and one around Eid. Thousands of brand new toys are collected and delivered to children from low-income new immigrant and refugee families, children who are with their mothers in shelters or transitional homes and pediatric wards in hospitals.

We have been collaborating with hospitals like Credit Valley Hospital, Sick Kids, women shelters, refugee organizations, food banks and various other charities to make sure that no child is without the gift of a toy in happy times.

All the toys are brand new. Our volunteers make sure they are nicely packed. We all know the joy of unwrapping a gift and finding out what is in there. Don’t we?

Our young volunteers help in wrapping the gifts and making handmade cards.

There are always volunteer opportunities available around these Drives.

You can subscribe to our email list to for updates about every new Drive.

One financially struggling senior couple once shared with us that they had not eaten any kind of meat or chicken for months. We were shocked and saddened and promised them that their groceries will be taken care of in the future.

Sadly, this is the reality for many destitute families, single mothers and seniors.

We have been trying to help as many people in need through our ongoing RIZQ PROJECT and QURBANI MEAT DRIVE.

Every Eid-ul-Adha we run an extensive Drive where qurbani meat is distributed to families in need. Eid ul Adha is the second of the two main holidays celebrated by Muslims and it is mandatory that a portion of the meat of the sacrificed animal is distributed to those who cannot afford to have it, often due to poverty and financial challenges.

This Eid is the all about gratitude and the personal sacrifice of sharing one’s possessions and food with one’s fellow human beings. Our volunteer teams collect meat from donor’s homes and deliver to those in need. Meat, produce and grocery distribution is also an integral part of our RIZQ PROJECT that goes on throughout the year.

You can subscribe to our Newsletter to receive updates about all upcoming Drives and Ongoing Projects.

We run a massive Food Drive once a year in collaboration with various Food Banks and other community organizations.

We make sure that only best quality items are collected and the Drive covers not only necessary food items but every day essentials like baby diapers, feminine hygiene products and laundry detergents and cleaning supplies.

There is one more thing that we keep in mind and that is snacks, chocolates and juice pack for children. Nothing is more fulfilling than sending a box of food to a single mother and her kids and seeing the children’s happy faces when they get snacks that mom cannot afford to buy on a regular basis.

All supplies are weighed, labelled and neatly packed in boxes to be delivered to food banks, refugee families and shelters and are distributed to homeless wherever possible.

To join our mailing list if you would like to be a part of this Drive.

Christmas is a magical time. We all love the Christmas lights and the sound of jingle bells ringing in the air but for many families, the holidays can be a challenging time. We run an extensive Christmas Gift Drive every Holiday Season to make it truly magical for children who have no hope of receiving any gifts. Our donors belong to different faiths, cultures and ethnicities but they all donate generously towards this Drive to make sure that every child wakes up on Christmas day to find a present from Santa.

We collect a wide range of gifts including toys, clothing, and other gifts for children of all ages as well as other practical items for seniors and families in need. We collaborate with churches and other local charities that are dedicated to supporting families in need during the holiday season. This maximizes our impact and ensures that every family in need receives a gift during the holidays.

A lot of young children and teens volunteer in wrap & pack gifts sessions. This is great way to teach them about the value of generosity, compassion, and community involvement. Donating a gift from their pocket money or volunteering in packing gifts helps develop empathy and understanding towards others who may be facing challenges or difficulties.

You can always donate towards this Drive during the holiday season. Funds collected help fulfil the wishlist of many children.