CU Cares wants you! New initiative calling on volunteers
Quebec Premier François Legault and other leaders have called on Quebecers to help our vulnerable citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Concordians are responding with CU Cares — a collaboration between the Concordia LIVE Centre and University Advancement that will mobilize students, faculty, staff and alumni to volunteer.
“This is a great time to get involved,” says Katie Broad, coordinator of the Concordia LIVE Centre, which connects Concordians with volunteer work and provides students with a Co-Curricular Record. “Some of us have more time on our hands, which can be used to volunteer virtually or in person, while adhering to physical distancing guidelines.”
‘Opportunity to bring people together’
CU Cares will connect volunteers to 12 Montreal organizations — with more joining in the weeks ahead.
As the pandemic evolves, an emerging need has been for volunteers to call older adults who live alone. With physical distancing the norm, people on their own find themselves isolated and check-ins are increasingly important.
According to Santé Montréal, 36 per cent — or more than one third — of people over the age of 65 in Montreal lived alone in 2016. One of the CU Cares initiatives will be to recruit volunteers who can check in on Concordia alumni aged 70 and above who live on their own.
“Concordia is deeply rooted in community,” says Leisha LeCouvie, senior director of Alumni Relations. “We know there are people struggling and people who want to help. This is our opportunity to bring them together.”
The LIVE Centre has partnered with a range of organizations in need. Causes include food preparation, goods delivery, letter-writing, virtual support and crisis-line support.
Anyone interested in volunteering can register through CU Cares.
“As the pandemic continues to impact our society, our hope is that CU Cares will bring a new cohort of volunteers to make a difference to the organizations that help our community,” says Broad.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the well-being of our students — many of whom can no longer afford basic necessities such as rent and groceries. If you can, please consider making a donation.
If you’re participating in COVID-19 community projects, don’t forget to tell us: socialmedia.alumni@concordia.ca.
