For this Guyanese native, kindness is everything

Navin Shivpal is very passionate about gardening and cooking, thus he has an organic gardening farm in Hawaii that he is developing, as well as a coffee farm.

The reason why:  because he “understands how much the food that we consume affects our health and more so seniors so this is his way of living as healthy as possible.”

Shivpal was born in Parika, on the East Bank of Essequibo, in Guyana. His family soon moved from Parika to Georgetown. While there, Navin attended St. Winifred’s School and later North Georgetown Secondary.

An act of kindness he remembers growing up was when his parents migrated to the United States. His aunt and her husband took care of him and his brother like she would her own kids. That is imprinted in his heart forever.

When he was 13 years old, he moved to New York to join his family: mom Devi Dhanpaul, dad Krishna Shivpal, and elder brother Arvin Shivpaul. He attended Elizabeth Blackwell School for a year, later transferring to John Adams High School.

For him, avoiding hunger and poverty are his greatest motivation and influence. He has had experiences where him and his family had nothing to eat and his focus has always been to be successful and fulfilled.

“I know what it’s like to get up and you don’t have food in the fridge. Everyone who comes here from another country to America for one simple reason is to make their family better, to give them a better opportunity than you had,” he said.

In 2000, the family moved to Florida. Navin continued with his studies. He enrolled at the University of Tampa and graduated with a degree in Health Care Administration.

He was introduced to the homecare industry by a businesswoman who had an agency and he saw how kind she was to everyone in need and that inspired him to start helping others.

He is now the CEO of Cottage Home Care Services (CHCS), and the Brooklyn Institute of Vocational Training (BIVT). Find information on CHCS here: https://www.cottagehomecare.com/. Find information on the BIVT by visiting: https://mybrooklyninstitute.com/.

He takes great comfort in knowing that he can make a difference in someone’s life with the resources he has and never misses an opportunity to do that.

Growing up, he loved playing cricket in Guyana. These days his hobbies involve everything that surrounds cars, he believes that cars are simple because if something is broken it can be easily fixed, “if something is broken on someone you can’t fix them.”

Shivpal contributes in a large way to the Queens community with resources to local charities and nonprofits, including serving as an inspiration and mentor to many.

One goal for Shivpal is to open a senior center for Guyanese in New York. With the property already acquired, he expects to have it up and running in a couple months.

“I want this because there are so many elderly people who are at home and don’t do anything. Our senior center will help them to be active and help them to really enjoy their lives, socialize with elders like themselves, learn to use the computer, because they work so long and hard and they should be able to enjoy their old age,”  he added.

He always wants to help people who are struggling with substance abuse and drugs. By opening a drug rehab facility, he can help them get their lives back on track.

“If we don’t educate and empower our Guyanese people then we won’t do anything,”  he continued.

He believes the support of his staff and family along with his personal approach is the bedrock of his success.

Shivpal advises people to ”live your life in a way if we don’t make it home tonight your affairs are in order…everything that you want to do get it done now, don’t procrastinate, don’t wait, do it now!”

Furthermore, Navin lives in the present and for him that means making an impact and leaving his mark on every person he comes into contact with.  “I don’t think about legacy, and the reason why is that when I die the world will still go on…just remember anyone and everyone is replaceable.”