Concordia Journal Home > Archives > January 15, 2009 issue >

Charitable endeavours at Concordia 

By Shelagh Peden

Before the holiday break, Concordians were busy helping others through charitable endeavours, both within and outside the university.

The Multi-faith Chaplaincy held a successful drive for the Student Emergency and Food Fund (SEFF), which provides $2-meals and food vouchers for grocery stores to students having trouble making ends meet.

The fund was supported by a number of groups and events on campus, including the Faculty of Fine Arts Collective Giving project and the Tie-a-Ribbon-on-the-Tree event held in the Library Atrium. The campaign, which raised nearly $21 000, exemplifies the wonderful community spirit at Concordia, often in very creative ways.

Carolers For a Cause also raised $1 713 for the SEFF by singing holiday favourites in various areas on campus. Thanks to the generosity of passers-by, they well exceeded their goal of $1 000.

The Concordia Centraide Campaign tallied at $167 325, just short of this year's goal. The CARE-y-oke event held Dec. 6 in the EV atrium raised close to
$1 000 from the audience who enjoyed the lively performances by staff members. Photos of this and the pasta lunch were posted online: centraide.concordia.ca

In the final week of the campaign, grand prizes were drawn: Congratulations to May Patton, who won the round-trip flight to New York, and Luigina Vileno, who won the 42" plasma TV.

The annual Libraries' Christmas Auction, in its 19th year, raised more than $4 500, which will be divided among a number of charities: Multi-faith Chaplaincy, Financial Aid and Awards, Auberge Madeleine, Can Serve Foundation, Chez Doris, C.O.D.E (Canadian Organization for Development through Education), Dans la Rue, The Gazette Christmas Fund, Operation Eyesight Universal, OXFAM, Sun Youth,and The Women’s Centre of Montreal.

Chez Doris was also among the beneficiaries of the annual food drive run by Lise Tavares and her “angels without wings,” the people from the distribution department. The team also collected non-perishables, toiletries, toys and clothing for St. Michael's Mission, also known as the Red Roof Church. What once began as a meager four-box donation grew to more than six pallets for each charity this year, which included the results of drives held at Reebok and the Dean of Students Office. Michel Gendron in Distribution said it was "one of the best" drives he's seen to date.

Kevin Figsby and the Stingers men's hockey team were interviewed by CFCF 12 sports reporter André Corbeil about their annual community service event for L'Abri en Ville, an agency devoted to helping those dealing with mental illness.

The Jazz Studies Department held a Jazzy Christmas fundraiser in support of the The Gazette Christmas Fund on Dec. 11 at Grumpy's. Melissa Pipe, a jazz student who works at The Gazette, first approached a shopping mall with the idea, but they weren't interested. The event, which is hoped to become annual, raised $427 for the Montreal charity that gives Christmas baskets to families in need.