Charlie Black is the Promotional Director for YEP!. A consummate artist and a “jack-of-all-arts,” Charlie dabbles in filmmaking, poetry, songwriting, singing and playing bass. He wishes to assist YEP! because he feels that everyone should get a second chance in this life, no matter what, as he himself was once threatened by poverty.

(Director)

Hi, my name is Kiran Bath. I am currently attending Kwantlen University and majoring in criminology and psychology. I joined this organization because it is one of the few out there that allow youth to become involved in what’s going on in their community. What I like most about it is that it is run totally and fully by youth, so their ideas and views are taken, and used to fight poverty.

| Contact Kiran |

(Director)

I am a grade 11 student at Sands Secondary in Delta. I am committed to human rights and global issues, I am working to plan “Change the Beat” benefit concert for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and I founded/run the Sands Secondary Global Issues Club. I am also a member of BC Youth Parliament and the Delta/Surrey Coordinator for Youth Canada. I’m the Secretary for the Youth Arts Council of Surrey and currently volunteering at Kinsmen Place Lodge Senior Home. I am very interested in the sciences and participated in the 2008 BC Sanofi-Aventis Biotalent Challenge and the 2008 Canada-Wide Science Fair.

| Contact Linda |

(Founder/President)

Hello, my name is Sara Bansal and I’m currently 17 years old in the 12th grade at Fleetwood Park Secondary School. I began this organization partly because every initiative I’d been involved with was either not collaborating with other youth initiatives, or they weren’t youth-based at all. The real reason, though, is that I truly believe we have the largest impact on the world as a young force and would love to show kids that they’re not naïve to think they can do something. I firmly believe that working for change is something every youth should experience as a way to discover what power they really hold and to gain a new view of the world and themselves. I’m a pretty normal girl: I do my homework, write music, play the guitar and dedicate my time to trying to make this world a little better!

| Contact Sara |

Not only do youth make up a large portion of the population now, but they also make up the future of our world. We’re a force that can definitely create a change for the better, if we begin now. YEP: Youth Ending Poverty—a youth created, youth oriented and youth organized group—thrives to unite and assist youth in their efforts to change the world. Currently we’re working on creating a network of initiatives throughout BC, so that Student Leaders can connect and collaborate with one another on similar projects, whether they are poverty-related or not. We’re also integrating a mentorship program with Global Agents for Change for any students interested in becoming better leaders and taking their initiatives to the next level. We also hold food/clothes drives for the homeless in downtown Vancouver where we get to meet face to face with them and learn more about what life is like living on the streets.