Marika91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s passions lie in helping all kinds of people whether it91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s with her real estate business or on a personal level. Her ears are always open to listen and being able to help the community is helpful not only to others but for her own sake. Her business mantra is simple; always put people first. These days, with the number of negative external factors affecting our mentality, it is crucial to communicate and lead with compassion and empathy.

In the last few years, Marika Soleil has begun to dive deeper into her personal story around mental health, making the decision to do what she could and make a bigger impact on the local community.

Partnered with the Great Canadian Woman publishing house, Marika recently announced a new book she co-authored, She91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Full of Fire. The book shares inspiring stories about women experiencing all kinds of situations, hardships and experiences.

By sharing some of her story publicly, she knows that she can help others.

In 2021 she brought the Shoebox Project to Kelowna and is now the lead coordinator, overseeing everything to do with the Kelowna chapter. The project mission is to positively impact women who may be experiencing homelessness through gift filled shoeboxes donated by other community members.

The shoeboxes are filled with about $50 of essentials, treats, gifts, and a heartfelt note from the maker of the box. The charity was started by Jessica Mulroney in Ontario and last year was its 10-year anniversary. Partnering with Hope, Karis, the Bridge Youth & Family Services, and Now Society, the Shoebox holiday campaign goal of 145 shoeboxes turned into 188, and this year they hope to double this number.

The plan is to add surrounding communities to the Shoebox Project for 2022, the volunteer campaign to start this summer.