Celebrating the 2025 Hope Letter Campaign Winners
Good Neighbours Canada (GNCA) is proud to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Hope Letter Campaign, a global citizenship initiative that invites young people in Canada to learn about the lives of children in other parts of the world and respond with empathy and creativity.
Open to children and youth between the ages of 7 and 18, the campaign encourages participants to share messages of hope through letters and artwork inspired by a case study from the Good Neighbours Child Sponsorship Initiative. Through these submissions, participants expressed care and reflection, demonstrating compassion and a growing awareness of global citizenship.
Honouring Our 2025 Winners
We are delighted to recognize this year’s outstanding participants from Lynn Rose School:
- Most Inspirational Letter: Laksha Sai
- Most Inspirational Artwork: Vaidehi Giridhar
“I enjoyed writing my letter because it gave hope and reminded them that they are not alone in the world.”
Both winners showed a strong sense of empathy and thoughtfulness through their submissions.
A Special Day at the GNCA Office
On January 7, both winners visited the Good Neighbours Canada office in Scarborough to receive their awards. During the visit, they were warmly welcomed by GNCA staff and watched a follow up video about the children they wrote to, sparking meaningful conversation and reflection.
“She simply wanted the children she wrote to experience what she enjoys every day, going to school and having friends.”
As part of their recognition, the Most Inspirational Letter award included a $300 donation made in the winner’s name to support the case study’s community, while the Most Inspirational Artwork award included a special Good4Causes goodie bag. Both winners also received a GNCA favourite, Bruce the Moose, adding a fun and memorable touch to the celebration.
We would like to sincerely thank Lynn Rose School and the families of the winners for their encouragement and support, which helped make the award ceremony a joyful and meaningful experience.
A Meaningful Message Returned
This year’s campaign was especially meaningful when Ambana and Kenzo sent a thank you letter and video message to the participants. Hearing directly from the children they had written to helped the winners see how their words reached real people and made a difference.
Their response highlighted how donor and community support can transform simple acts of care into moments of genuine connection and encouragement for children and families. We are grateful to Good Neighbours Cameroon for facilitating the exchange of letters and messages and helping ensure this connection reached its recipients.
With Gratitude to Our Judges
We extend our sincere thanks to the 2025 Hope Letter Campaign judging panel for their time and thoughtful review of submissions:
- Kimberly Gibbons, Executive Director, Ontario Council for International Cooperation
- Justin Hu, Board Director, Good Neighbours Canada
- Jinny Jung, Facilitator, New Horizon
- Hyang Cho, Executive Director, Good Neighbours Canada
- Ece Ozturk, Academics and IB Coordinator, Keystone School
Their support helped ensure that each submission was reviewed with care, respect, and appreciation for the young voices behind them.
Building Global Citizenship and Looking Ahead
The 2025 Hope Letter Campaign received over one thousand entries from participants across three schools, three water festivals, and one church. From mid 2025 to November, children and youth engaged in thoughtful reflection and creative expression, learning about how children in other parts of the world live and beginning to see themselves as global citizens.
We also extend our sincere thanks to our co-op students Yağız Firat Boran, Joshua Choi, and Amara Weicht for their dedication and support throughout the campaign. Their contributions played an important role in coordinating activities and supporting the campaign’s success.
Beginning this year, the Hope Letter Campaign will take place during a dedicated period from September to November, allowing for more focused engagement with schools and community partners. Schools, churches, and organizations interested in participating, or those with questions, are invited to contact us at hello@gncanada.ca.
Congratulations once again to our 2025 winners, and thank you to all participants, educators, families, partners, and supporters who made this year’s Hope Letter Campaign a success. Together, we continue to empower young voices and inspire global citizenship through hope, one letter at a time.
