TRU makes for local United Way’s largest day of Caring
On Monday, August 31, from 8:30 am to 4 pm, employees and students of Thompson Rivers University will be donating their time, expertise and enthusiasm for a Day of Caring at the Boys and Girls Club facilities on McArthur Island.
The motivated crew of 30 volunteers from TRU will include President and Vice-Chancellor Kathleen Scherf, who has been a passionate supporter of the United Way since her arrival to Kamloops
a year ago.
“The TRU community didn’t hesitate to come forward and use a day’s vacation so they could pitch in and help the Boys and Girls Club with painting and improving the playground,” Scherf said. “I am exited to be able to spend the day volunteering along side members from CUPE, our Faculty Association, the TRU Student Union, trade students and so many others from the university that support the United Way.”
Besides painting several rooms inside the building – recreation areas as well as storage space, tables and cabinets, TRU volunteers will be picking up larger projects outside the facility. They will build a pergola as TRU Trades students erect a storage shed that has been donated by the TRU School of Trades and Technology.
Day of Caring is a community initiative designed to foster a sense of caring through volunteerism. It is not a fund-raising event, but an opportunity for businesses and their employees to undertake worthwhile projects for non-profit organizations. Not only do the non-profit organizations benefit from valuable assistance in completing a much
needed project that would not have been done otherwise, but the employee groups are given the opportunity to see first hand what valuable services are being provided by annual contributions to the United Way.
In 2008 President Scherf led TRU’s United Way employee campaign, raising over $63,000. TRU also earned the 2008 Community Spirit Large Organization award, which recognized TRU’s encouragement of staff to learn about and contribute to their community through
United Way involvement.
from http://www.tru.ca/marketing/mediareleases/2009/united_way_day_of_caring.html