Richard Ma
I’m currently a first-year medical student who cares deeply about health equity and community engagement. In high school, I worked alongside a dedicated group of peers to start Food for the Capital, an organization aiming to address food insecurity through youth-led community action. From my experience, I've learned it’s crucial to provide youth with opportunity and support so that we can nurture bright ideas into meaningful impact. When I’m not studying or working, I like to stay active and listen to music.
Food For The Capital
Founded in 2020 by a group of high school students, Food For The Capital was created in response to the rising food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has grown into a vital community force—organizing ongoing large-scale, youth-led food drives that not only provide immediate relief, but also raise awareness, foster local partnerships, and empower youth to forge a more secure and sustainable food landscape in Ottawa.
https://www.foodforthecapital.ca/About this Project
Communities Served
My project will involve and/or impact the following communities:
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
When it comes to community impact projects, the UN has created 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These are the Sustainable Development Goals associated with my project.
How the project works
Food For The Capital organizes multiple food drives throughout the year to support local food banks and community organizations. These drives are held at high-traffic community locations, where volunteers collect both food and monetary donations, which are then delivered directly to our partner food banks. From outreach and promotion to coordination and logistics, youth are actively involved at every stage—developing leadership skills while making a tangible impact in their community.
Project Impact
As of August 2025, Food For The Capital has raised over 17000 pounds of food and 17000 dollars, while providing over 1400 community service hours to students across Ottawa.
Project Mission
Food For The Capital mobilizes youth to address food insecurity in Ottawa by organizing large-scale, student-led food drives. The organization aims to support local food banks, foster community engagement, and inspire lasting youth leadership—working toward a more resilient and equitable food system.
Project Team
The current team is led by post-secondary students based out of Ottawa.
- Raghav Bhargava
- Richard Ma
- Bryan Liu
- Joshua Cheruvathur
- Kevin Joseph
- Angelyn Joseph
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