The Impact of Ridley Action Alliance
By Jiahao (Henry) Wen ’26, Contributor; Edited by Brie Goodly ’26, Editor-in-Chief
As the holiday season approached, the Ridley Action Alliance, led by Jiahao (Henry) Wen ’26, partnered with Ridley’s food service provider, Aramark, to give back to the local community. The club organized a meaningful volunteer activity, preparing and packaging meals that were delivered to the Village of Hope Niagara, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families in need.
Working closely with Aramark staff, club members planned and prepared nutritious meals to ensure the recipients experienced comfort and care. This initiative reflects the club’s ongoing commitment to creating a positive impact through community service while promoting leadership among its members.
The Ridley Action Alliance comes from a Grade 10 initiative Henry, Jason, and Cindy started, first collaborating with Village of Hope Niagara, providing food-based support for the St. Catharines community.
In this recent event, Henry, one of the leaders of the Ridley Action Alliance, led the meal-packing event with Aramark. The club demonstrated its members’ initiative, creativity, and teamwork in serving the community. These activities, planned and executed by the club members themselves, aim to bring meaningful contributions to the community through volunteer efforts.
The Ridley Action Alliance plays a crucial role by spearheading activities such as food donation drives, promoting awareness of local support organizations, and encouraging teamwork. Through these initiatives, students develop leadership, creativity, and a strong sense of responsibility while giving back to the community. Participation in such efforts allows members to create a profound and lasting impact, enhance their awareness of service and collaboration, and grow into responsible global citizens.
This meal-packing initiative highlighted the power of collaboration and compassion, inspiring students to take action and support those facing food insecurity. During the holiday season, the Ridley Action Alliance extended kindness and strengthened its connection with the wider Niagara community, embodying Ridley’s core values of service, empathy, and leadership.
The Ridley Action Alliance will continue to work closely with local partners to make a difference in the community that we are all a part of. To join this initiative, and give back to the community, follow the RAA on Instagram @ridleyactionalliance or reach out to us by emailing our club leaders!
Club leader Emails:
(Henry) Jiahao Wen; jiahao_wen@ridleycollege.com
Jason Zhang; jason_zhang@ridleycollege.com
Yuqi (Cindy) Liu; yuqi_liu@ridleycollege.com
