How I Help
United Way was there for lawyer TJ (Tajesh) Adhihetty at a young age
TJ (Tajesh) Adhihetty in Kensington Market, May 2007.
An associate lawyer with the international business law and litigation firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, 28-year-old TJ (Tajesh) Adhihetty was seconded to the Department of Justice as a law student to help prosecute war crimes offenders. He is involved with a leave to appeal application before the Supreme Court on a multi-million dollar claim, and still finds time to participate in his firm’s pro-bono work at small claims court. But through all his work achieving this success at such a young age, Adhihetty has never forgotten what it felt like to be a newcomer to Canada, overwhelmed by a new culture and in need of support.
United Way has been part of Adhihetty’s life since he arrived in Edmonton with his parents from their native Sri Lanka. Recalling a recent visit to the Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club in downtown Toronto, Adhihetty says, "I saw such excitement in the faces of the young girls and boys—the same excitement that I remember feeling as a kid attending our local Boys & Girls Club in Edmonton." Adhihetty has continued his deep engagement with United Way.
At only 18 he sat on its board of directors in Edmonton, and since moving to Toronto three years ago, he has become an active member of the GenNext Cabinet, helping to organize last year’s keystone events, ROUGE and Tempted Palettes. This year, he is the Co-Chair for the Great Neighbourhood Race. "I became involved with United Way because I love the way it helps small organizations that would not have the ability to raise sufficient funds on their own," says Adhihetty. "United Way demonstrates the ability of the voluntary sector to collaborate in raising funds and building community."