A 14-year-old Richmond girl is sewing her way into the hearts and minds of those less fortunate in the city.
Eden Wu is being described by those running the community meal at St. Alban’s Outreach as a “shining star.”
A few years ago, the teenager and her family had the opportunity to travel to India and volunteer at a women's mission centre, where girls and women received shelter, education and opportunities.
Eden was so inspired by the gratitude they expressed, that upon return to Canada, she founded her community initiative called PacKits, hoping to share care packages to “spread love, care, and happiness to anyone in need.”
Sewing skills put to good use
And, coupled with the skill of learning to sew in Grade 8, she set about making reusable bags and filling them with hygiene essentials for men and women.
Last week, Eden handed every guest a bag at the St. Alban's Community Meal and, thus, “inspired everyone at St. Alban's tonight,” according to Dianne Woodhouse, of the church’s outreach program.
Woodhouse told how, back in the late 1970s, Eden’s mom's family fled Vietnam and arrived in Canada as refugees.
A church sponsored them and they have “lived in gratitude for Canada and its people ever since. Growing up, the importance of giving and sharing has been a key aspect in Eden's life,” added Woodhouse.
