About Us

Starting a community kitchen in my neighborhood had always been the dream. But dreams don’t keep the lights on, and most of the time, I was funding everything out of pocket—food, gas, supplies. It was unsustainable. When I came across HopeSpark’s community impact grant, I figured it was worth a shot. I never imagined how much they'd come through. Not just with funds, but with mentorship, marketing support, even volunteers. That one grant gave me what I needed to actually breathe. We’ve now served over 12,000 meals in the last year alone. They didn’t just fund us—they believed in our mission like it was their own.

There was a point I honestly thought college was just a fantasy. My parents both work two jobs and still struggle to make ends meet. I got accepted into UTSA but couldn’t even afford the first semester. When I applied for the HopeSpark Foundation scholarship, I prayed with my whole heart. I still remember the day the acceptance email came in—I cried so much my mom thought something bad had happened. This wasn’t just money for school. It was freedom. It was dignity. It was proof that someone out there believed in me. Today, I’m in my second year, majoring in biomedical science, and I carry that belief with me every single day.

Lala Boronieva from Dushanbe, Tajikistan is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Business Administration at Trent University in Canada. She was part of the World of Difference Program at Trafalgar Castle School in Whitby, Ontario, where she completed her last two years of high school. She was self-taught in English before she arrived in Canada, and graduated high school with Honours in June 2019. Lala hopes to contribute to the economic development of Tajikistan and other developing countries by empowering and enabling female youth to pursue business and entrepreneurship. Her goal is to open learning centres in developing and post-war countries that help women and girls develop their entrepreneurial skills, as well as empower them to start their own businesses. She aspires to change the face of the business community and the lives of millions of women around the world.

The Spark of Hope Foundation has not only supported me financially but more importantly, has helped me discover my potential. By mentoring me throughout the different stages in my career path, from helping me figure out which university to attend for my postgraduate studies to securing significant scholarships and financial assistance at Carleton University to guiding me through the visa application process.

Taking in foster children changed my life but it came with challenges, Hopespark Foundation provided the support we needed, funding for essentials, access to therapy, and educational tools. Now, my foster kids have the opportunities they deserve, and our home is filled with hope.

My education has given me the confidence and tools I need to give back to my community and create an impact. It has given me the power to be independent and the means to support my family. Since completing my degree, I have started working in clinical research at the department of Cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). I am also currently working on my residency application and will be applying to Internal Medicine residency programs.