From left to right; UBC IT’s Carolyn O’Connor, Debbie Mason, Marianne Boyles and Sally McKenzie
UBC IT employees took part in a Day of Caring at the Kitsilano Neighborhood house. Upon arrival, they were greeted with homemade treats from the seniors and a card made by the children of their daycare. They were provided a tour of the facility and learned about all the programs and services the house offers . There was ample time for UBC IT to ask questions and discuss the importance of this agency in the community. It was a real learning experience as we often think of Kitsilano to be an area of affluence. When in fact, there are many people struggling to make ends meet in the area.
The rest of the day was spent doing outdoor yard work and cleaning. Their facility’s manager was extremely grateful for all the hard work UBC IT did that day. The exterior of the building often gets neglected due to lack of resources, funding and volunteers.
The United Way day of caring was such a rewarding day for my team of colleagues. We went to the Kits Neighborhood house where we learned what they do, which considering we all live and work in this area, we had no idea of some of social problems in the local community. We spent the afternoon, hosing, scraping, sweeping etc. Not too much hard work for the great feeling we all left with. The staff (and children in the day care) were so welcoming, home baking and a thank you card, that we now have in our office. All my colleagues learnt a lot about what United Way do, and I think will be inclined to make a donation this year, if they don’t already. It was a great day out and we have talked about making it an annual event.
Carolyn O’Connor
Business Analyst, Student Academic System Initiative
The Vancouver Sun United Way Day of Caring is program that brings United Way’s funded agency partners together with United Way donors to provide meaningful volunteer opportunities. This is a great opportunity for UBC’s departments to connect with their local community and watch their donor dollars at work. Please email united.way@ubc.ca if interested in this amazing opportunity.