Two brothers, one commitment to service |
09/10/2026
For twins Nikhil and Rohan Gupta from the Class of 2027, giving back is a way to better understand the world around them, bring about meaningful change, and learn more about who they are — and what they’re capable of achieving.
When they first reached the Upper School in Year 8, they observed that most of their peers were making efforts to exceed the 40 required hours of service, and realized that this was something they wanted to pursue as well. They started volunteering with Ve’ahavta, a Toronto organization that uses outreach vans to deliver food, drink and clothing to people affected by poverty and experiencing homelessness.
Says Nikhil, “It just felt like a good thing to do, and it kept inspiring us to do more and more.”
Their experiences with Ve’ahavta opened their eyes to some of the city’s most pressing challenges and inspired them to find new ways to help. Sharing Excess Toronto is a food-rescue initiative the twins launched just over a year ago to redirect some of the surplus food from restaurants and grocers and deliver it to nearby shelters and community kitchens. They have made an incredible impact so far: along with 12 partner organizations and a group of 15 volunteers, including directors and fellow graduating classmates Brandon and Caden Situ, they have rescued enough food surplus to provide 4,150 meals and divert 13,236 lbs of CO2 from landfills.
Getting the initiative off the ground presented some challenges. Rohan and Nikhil had to cold-call and email restaurants and grocers without the backing of an existing organization. Rohan says, “It was difficult to get them to trust us. We didn’t know if it was going to work. But I think sticking together and having our eye on the target, the end goal of trying to build something that could make a difference, was what kept us pushing through.”
Along with the encouragement of their parents, Rohan and Nikhil found a strong supporter in John Sweetman, UCC’s director of community service, CAS and clubs. The twins credit him with providing encouragement and practical advice.
“Mr. Sweetman is really supportive,” Nikhil says. “If you ever want help with an initiative, a service project, or just general guidance, he’s always there.”
The brothers’ service experiences have made them acutely aware of the incredible impact that volunteering — and recruiting others to join them — can have on achieving a shared goal. Rohan and Nikhil are now looking ahead. Their hope is to expand Sharing Excess Toronto by encouraging younger UCC students to establish their own branches in other neighbourhoods, creating a larger network of restaurants, volunteers and food donations. Says Nikhil, “I love when I’m able to inspire other people to help out for the same cause.”
They also plan to keep up their volunteer work with Founders Cup, UCC’s annual volleyball tournament that brings schools together while raising funds for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. So far this event has raised more than $134,000.
Michelle Cooper, MPP for Eglinton-Lawrence, recently presented Nikhil and Rohan with a Scroll of Recognition for their outstanding leadership.
“It was nice being recognized,” says Rohan, “but you’re not doing it for the recognition. You’re doing it because you want to help out.”
