During the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic back in the winter of 2020, Parmar recalled how the media’s message was to stay indoors and avoid other people. At the time, Parmar and her sisters lived in Downtown Abbotsford, and they reflected upon the issues this message posed for the unhoused populations of the area.
“You’re hearing stay inside, stay indoors, don’t talk to people. It got us thinking that’s not an option for people who don’t have homes and are living outside. That’s quite literally a privilege.”
The idea of creating and donating care packages arose from an old familial value their parents instilled in them, which was to give back to the community whenever possible. Their family would donate meal kits to local shelters, which inspired them to create this non-profit and hand out care packages to the unhoused communities.
“I always say that we know care packages aren’t gonna solve the problem, but that’s the inspiration of why we decided to do something. Even if it’s as little as a care package.”
Parmar expressed gratitude for the stable support and donations through GoFundMe given to Abby Care Packages as this enables the team to buy more quality items. They generally include packaged food, socks, and sanitary products for men and women. The type of products and the total number of packages produced vary every year, as the exact amount of donations can fluctuate. This is often the biggest challenge when it comes to creating the packages, but Parmar confirmed that at least 50 to 70 care packages go out every year, amounting to a total of over 400 packages distributed to date.
“We can really grow this and reach more people, raise more money from the community, and distribute more packages. That’s probably what excites me more, using our resources and [finding more] ways that we can grow this.”
Parmar said that what impacts her the most is connecting with the people they give the care packages to. She added that listening to people’s stories and speaking with them not only enabled meaningful conversations, but it also helped put into perspective how she may have taken basic things for granted. From this experience, Parmar emphasized how important genuine human interaction is.
“It’s not even about the care package. It’s about that connection that you have with that person.”
Parmar hopes that Abby Care Packages will bring attention to the housing crisis that is affecting so many people. She believes it is important to not turn a blind eye to the issue and that all change begins with acknowledgement and respect. She also stressed the need to recognize that this vulnerable population consists of real people with feelings, lives, and rights that matter.
“They’ve been exposed to many challenges [and] barriers, but it’s not just a group of people as a whole; they’re individual people with real life stories, with real life challenges, barriers, and experiences that matter on an individual level.”
Parmar invited anyone desiring to support the project to help them grow through additional exposure so they can reach more people. She suggested interacting with their social media on Instagram and Facebook, visiting their website and sharing their message with other people as great ways to help support their initiative.
Abby Care Packages encourages people with any ideas or shelter suggestions to reach out to them via email at abbycarepackages@gmail.com. Fundraising usually begins during October and runs through the start of December, with donations being accepted through the project’s GoFundMe.
