Why Climate Action Starts With Seeing People: Warm Hearts Awareness Campaign
- Emily Kantardzic
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
by Emily Kantardzic for The 44 North
Youth Climate Fellow—Stanford Climate Fellowship & Rustic Pathways
"One of the most important lessons the fellowship taught me is that you don’t need a perfect plan or a large platform to begin. I used to believe meaningful change required waiting—for the right idea, the right time, or the right level of confidence. This experience showed me that starting small isn’t a weakness. It’s often how change becomes possible."
Before joining the Stanford Climate Fellowship through Rustic Pathways, I thought climate change was something I understood. I followed the news, knew the statistics, and cared deeply about the issue. However, based on what I’d seen in the media, heard from adults, and believed, I thought: Because I’m a teenager, my voice isn’t big enough to make any change. It was amazing how wrong I was. After doing my research into the opportunities available to teens like me—who want to make change but don't know how to—everything shifted. My perspective on the change I could make transformed once I began connecting climate issues to real people and lived experiences through the sources that were right at my fingertips (and are at yours too!).
The fellowship wasn’t just about learning facts—it was about noticing how climate change shows up in everyday life. Through conversations, workshops, and shared projects, I started to see how environmental challenges are deeply tied to social ones, particularly for people who are already vulnerable.
One moment that stayed with me was realizing how extreme weather affects youth experiencing homelessness in my own city. Cold winters aren’t just uncomfortable—they can be dangerous. That realization pushed me to think differently about what climate awareness can look like when it’s rooted in local, human realities.
Learning to Take Action
As part of the fellowship, we were encouraged to design a project connected to our communities. That’s how Warm Hearts began—a youth-led awareness campaign focused on youth homelessness in Toronto alongside sustainable clothing practices. While it’s still early in its journey, Warm Hearts has already helped turn concern into action.
Through the campaign, I share information about youth homelessness, extreme cold, and the environmental impact of clothing waste on Instagram and TikTok (@warmheartsac). The idea is simple: donating gently used clothing can support young people in need while also reducing textile waste and the carbon footprint of fast fashion.
Partnering with Covenant House in Etobicoke, Warm Hearts has helped collect winter clothing and raise funds for youth experiencing homelessness. Equally meaningful are the conversations it sparks—moments when peers, friends, and community members pause to reflect on empathy, sustainability, and how they can make a difference in their own ways.
What I Took Away From the Fellowship
One of the most important lessons the fellowship taught me is that you don’t need a perfect plan or a large platform to begin. I used to believe meaningful change required waiting—for the right idea, the right time, or the right level of confidence. This experience showed me that starting small isn’t a weakness. It’s often how change becomes possible.
I also learned the power of sharing stories. When people understand why something matters, they’re more likely to care and stay engaged. That mindset has shaped how I think about climate issues, leadership, and community action.
Moving Forward
Warm Hearts is just the beginning. I hope it grows into a broader platform that inspires young people to get involved in issues they care about—whether that’s climate justice, homelessness, sustainability, or something else entirely.
More than anything, the fellowship gave me confidence: confidence to speak up, to try, and to keep going even when things feel uncertain.
A Note to Other Young People
If you feel a calling to help change the world, that urge is already halfway to the goal. Your voice isn’t too small—don’t let anyone convince you any differently. In situations where most people follow the crowd and don't speak up about topics that really matter, don’t be a follower; be a leader. You don’t need everything figured out to begin. Paying attention, learning, and responding to what matters around you already counts.
Sometimes, meaningful change starts there—and if you want to see what that can look like, Warm Hearts is one example of how young people can take action in their communities. You can follow the journey on Instagram and TikTok @warmheartsac.
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