Mazda Canada is continuing its work giving back to Canadian communities. For the 2023 Rising Legends Campaign, Mazda in Canada along with the entire Retailer network will provide up to $1 million in support to youth (aged 15 – 24) who make a difference in their communities. West Coast Mazda had the opportunity to present a cheque to Ramudhi Ekanayake for $2,500 through this initiative.
Ramudhi started with the Food Bank in 2019 and was originally hired for a student summer program. She worked in the perishable food recovery program when they first opened and was only supposed to be volunteering for the summer. However, they called her back, and now, four years later she is the Manager of the program! The Zero Waste Program has fed many hungry people within the community, including farm animals with the food that isn’t suitable for human consumption.
Ramudhi says, “It has been such a privilege to be a part of something that is making such a big difference in the community. I have seen how grateful people are and how happy the farmers are to be a part of this. It’s truly incredible to see just how little waste we have and to think about how all this product would have been trash it we weren’t there.” Ramudhi says this job has given her a much deeper appreciation for the simpler things in life, like having a meal on the table, because a lot of people do not have that luxury.
She has also spent time volunteering at her local Buddhist temple for most of her childhood; teaching Kindergarten students when she was in grade 12. When she was 15, she traveled back to Sri Lanka with two friends for a month to volunteer at a hospital with sick children. She spent her days going to the hospital and connecting with the kids, playing with them, and doing fun activities. Even though there was a language barrier, we were still able to connect with them deeply. Before we left on our trip, we raised enough money from our community, family, and friends to donate and buy supplies for the hospitals and orphanages.
When Ramudhi is not working hard volunteering her time, she spends time pursuing an acting career, taking on auditions and working on set for any roles she books. She takes a multitude of classes, including scene study, dancing, and singing.
Thank you for all the work you do within our community, Ramudhi!
