Student Voices: Isabelle Guy from Royal West Academy on why she supports the homeless

Royal West Academy Secondary II  student Isabelle Guy was named the EMSB Student of the Month for September 2025. Here is her acceptance speech at the last Council of Commissioners meeting. In 2023, at the age of 11, she began a project to support Montreal’s homeless population called Operation Hot Meals

Isabelle is presented  with her certificate.

First, I want to say thank you so much to the EMSB for giving me this honor. It means a lot to me, but even more, it means a lot for the project I started called Operation Hot Meals.

When I was in Grade 6, I really wanted to do something kind for people who don’t always have kindness in their lives — especially during the holidays. So, with the help of my friends, family, and Children’s World Academy, we were able to raise money to get this project off the ground and start handing out hot chicken meals to people in Montreal who are experiencing homelessness.

Each person doesn’t just get a meal, they also get a drink, a dessert, and a handwritten card. For me, the card is the most important part, because it reminds them that they are seen, that they matter, and that they are not forgotten.

So far, I’ve been able to serve hundreds of people every year with the help of Cote St-Luc BBQ and many kind supporters. But I also know it’s not enough because there are so many more people out there who need food, dignity, and hope.

This project has taught me that one small idea can grow into something much bigger, and that even kids can make a difference. You don’t have to be rich, or famous, or a grown-up to help people, you just have to care.

I want to thank my parents, my teachers at Royal West Academy, my friends, and everyone who has supported Operation Hot Meals. I want to thank Mr. Walker and Ms. Baylis, who believed in me and this idea from the very beginning when I first went to them about it. I also want to thank the people we serve, because they’ve taught me how strong and brave a person can be, even when life is really hard.

My hope is that this project keeps growing, and that it inspires other kids and even adults to do something kind in their own way. Because together, we can make the world a little bit warmer, a little bit brighter, and a little bit more loving.

Thank you so much.