About foundation

Founder’s Message

Khwahish is a traditional Urdu word meaning "desire or wish." The Khwahish Foundation of Grande Prairie was established with the purpose of lending a helping hand in our local community. We also hope to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2.1, "end hunger by 2030 and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round." At Khwahish, we recognize the importance of collaborative and innovative initiatives that address food security gaps with the intent of ensuring that people have access to food in a manner that maintains human dignity.

At present, communities across Canada are struggling to establish sustainable and effective responses to the growing numbers of homelessness. There are up to an estimated 235,000 Canadians that are homeless in any given year, living either on the streets or in shelters. In Grande Prairie alone, there are nearly 228 individuals without a consistent place to live each night. At the Khwahish Foundation of Grande Prairie, we acknowledge the many challenges faced by people, including having consistent access to food. Shelters such as Rotary House, which run at full capacity each night, often lack the resources to feed the overwhelming number of residents in their care.

The“Sharing is caring, sponsor-a-meal” program is designed to bridge this gap between the supply and demand of food as a solution to the problem of hunger and food waste in Grande Prairie. Most importantly, we provide a sense of hope and belonging to our neighbors in need. Our goal is a hunger free Grande Prairie by 2030, and each meal will go a long way in assisting Rotary House to better support the population that they serve. Any donation, no matter how big or small, will be a huge help and will truly make a difference in our local community.

Giandeep Khepar
(Founder)