Meet Kandice Henry: A REALTOR® in Brampton Making a Difference
Shining a light on the winner of the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2025.
When Kandice Henry thinks about her community she doesn’t just see what’s there, she sees what’s possible.
A REALTOR® based in Brampton, Ontario, and a passionate advocate for marginalized youth in the Greater Toronto Area, Henry has dedicated years to creating spaces where young people can feel safe, supported, and inspired. It’s this commitment to uplifting her community that has made her the recipient of the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2025 Proudly Presented by REALTOR.ca.
A lifelong calling to serve
Henry’s passion for advocacy began early. At just seven years old, during a Black History Month event she stood up in a crowded auditorium to inquire about programs that could help youth like herself connect with their community. That same spirit of determination and compassion has fueled her ever since.
Her commitment to social justice deepened during university when she volunteered within the judicial and social services systems. This experience helped her to gain deeper insights into the challenges faced by underserved communities, leading her to serve as Vice-President of the LIFE Foundation from 2013 to 2023 focusing on supporting at-risk youth through education.
In addition to her busy career as a real estate professional, Henry is the Founder of Shining Lighte Youth Charity, a grassroots organization she launched after a transformative trip to Tanzania.
“Lighte” stands for “Leaders in Generational Healing Through Empowerment and Education”. The name encapsulates the organization’s mission to break cycles of disadvantage through holistic programs that heal the mind, body and soul.
“It’s full circle for me,” Henry said. “I’m trying to help youth who are in underserved positions and neighbourhoods and places, and I came from that”.
From educational workshops to community-building festivals, Henry’s work with Shining Lighte is driven by love, empathy, and a belief in the potential of every child. “The biggest thing for me, for them to get out of it, honestly, is just for them to have a good time,” Kandice shared. “Some of these kids are coming from households or situations where they just can’t be happy, they’re not able to enjoy things.”
The biggest thing for me, for them to get out of it, honestly, is just for them to have a good time.”
– Kandice Henry
Creating safe spaces for youth to thrive
Under Henry’s leadership, the charity runs a variety of impactful initiatives that reflect her holistic, youth-centered approach.
The youth drop-in program offers children aged six to 12 a safe and supportive space where they can engage in fun, educational activities and receive tutoring to help them succeed in school.
For teenagers, the Literacy Life Skills Program builds confidence and equips participants with the practical tools they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom. Meanwhile, the Regenerating Our Roots program is rooted in self-love and anti-racism education, empowering youth as young as eight to connect with their cultural heritage and navigate the systemic challenges they may face with strength and pride.
Beyond day-to-day programming, Henry spearheads larger community events like the Healing Humanity Festival, which celebrates Afro-Caribbean culture as a vehicle for healing, and Unity in the Community, which amplifies the work of other grassroots organizations working towards a common goal: equity and opportunity for all.
Where real estate meets impact
Balancing the demands of her real estate career and her charitable work is no easy task, but Henry does so with grace and determination.
As she puts it, “a day in the life of a charity founder is almost like the day in the life of a real estate agent in the sense that we’re doing things all the time and we’re always in contact with people all throughout the day. No two days are the same.”
On behalf of REALTORS® the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has donated $10,000 to the Shining Lighte Youth Charity to help Henry and her team in creating transformative opportunities for young people in the community.
