All posts by Leah Henrickson | Co-Editor

Walk The Walk For Covenant House

Events, Philanthropy, ,

Change calls for action. That’s why hundreds of people will lace up their sneakers on Saturday, November 12 and literally take steps toward change by participating in the Covenant House Step Up for Street Kids 5K walk, an event that raises money and awareness in support of homeless youth.

Why walk the walk? The 2,000 or so kids who sleep on Toronto’s streets are 2,000 or so good reasons. And last year, about 4,000 kids found shelter and support at Covenant House, an organization that relies on donors for more than 80% of its $18.8-million operating budget. Covenant House provides 24/7 crisis care 365 days a year, as well as services like education, health care, counselling, and employment assistance.

Kids who make it out there are the lucky ones. The street is a perilous place for young people, many of whom are desperate and alone after fleeing or being forced from homes where they’ve experienced abuse or neglect. Sometimes kids just fall in with the wrong crowd and end up trapped in a cycle of substance abuse and crime.

Just about anyone can wind up on the street. Homeless youth come from every part of the country and every background. About half come from middle- and upper-class homes – like Michelle, the leader of the Covenant House Step Up team. Michelle is a former resident who was able to turn her life around because of the support she received at Covenant House.

Michelle grew up in the GTA, got good grades, and didn’t get into trouble until she got to high school, where she met a new crowd and started using drugs. Once she was hooked, Michelle began to steal from her family to get her fix. She shares more about her story here.

Thankfully, Michelle found her way to Covenant House, where she spent a year getting back on track. Now she’s a college graduate looking for work in community support services. Michelle is dedicated to supporting the people and the place that helped her find her way through troubled times.

If you can’t walk the walk this year, you can still step up by sponsoring Michelle and her team. The event takes place on Saturday, November 12 at 3pm at Yonge and Dundas Square. For more information, check out http://www.covenanthouse.ca/walk or visit Covenant House on Facebook and Twitter.

Invisible Children at U of T

Events, Film, Philanthropy, , ,

On October 20th, from 7-9pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre, VUSAC’s Education and Equity Commission and Invisible Children are screening ‘Tony’, a 50-minute documentary that will open your eyes to a world of terror in Northern Uganda.

Northern Uganda has been a war zone due to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) for the past 25 years. The LRA is largely comprised of child soldiers who were violently abducted from their homes.

Watch the movie, discuss the content, meet the Invisible Children staff, and buy some Invisible Children gear to support their work.

Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

It’s That Time of Year Again!: Junior Editor Applications

blogUT is so badass, , ,

 

Image from http://dakotatoday.typepad.com/dakotatoday/2009/04/blogging-cartoonrough-sketch-but-perhaps-funny-anyway.html.

The Editors of blogUT are looking for a Junior Editor to help us make sure that blogUT continues to run smoothly and showcase amazing content.

During your time as Junior Editor, we will train you on everything blogUT. You’ll learn how to write and edit posts, communicate with other campus clubs, manage basic finances, and lead an amazing team of people. This is a great opportunity for those of you who’d like to get more involved in student life. And an added bonus? It’ll be a great addition to your resume.

We’re looking for someone who:

  • Is in first, second, or third year
  • Can write/respond to emails quickly and professionally
  • Has an understanding of how a good blog should look in terms of format
  • Pays attention to detail
  • Has a basic knowledge of how to use WordPress or other web publishing platforms
  • Has excellent spelling and grammar
  • Can devote 2-3 hours per week to blogUT activities

Your responsibilities will include:

  • Editing blogs and comments on a regular basis
  • Updating our Twitter feed and Facebook profile
  • Responding to emails from various organizations about events that are going on
  • Finding out about events that would be of interest to blogUT readers
  • Contacting event organizers for press passes
  • Helping to make decisions about finances
  • Helping to organize meetings
  • Doing paperwork for the UTSU (ex. applying for funding)
  • Miscellaneous administrative tasks, such as creating new user accounts and helping contributors with problems using WordPress
  • Coming up with ideas on how to help the blog run better

To apply, with the subject ‘Junior Editor’ answering the following questions by OCTOBER 28, 2011:

  • Who are you? What are you studying? Tell us about yourself.
  • Why are you interested in this position?
  • Why do you think that you are qualified for this position?
  • What is something new, fresh, and innovative that you will bring to blogUT?
  • Do you have any constructive criticism on how we are currently operating?

If you have any writing samples, please send them along with your application.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Life Outside the Classroom: One Love

Clubs, Guest Blogger, On Campus, Philanthropy, , ,

Post written by Shakeera Baker, President.

One Love is a Ulife-recognized student group that seeks to raise awareness of, and help, the impoverished families of Riverton Meadows – a shantytown in Kingston, Jamaica – through cultural fundraising events on campus. As stated on the group’s website, ‘Riverton is situated next to a landfill from which scraps are scavenged and used as building materials for many of the dwellings in this community. Although hundreds of families in Riverton live without running water and sewage disposal, the people of Riverton have great pride in their strength and resilience to adversity. ONE LOVE seeks to not only promote these strengths, but to additionally help provide the funds necessary for the development and advancement of the community.’

In fostering a general atmosphere of helping others, we hold regular volunteer outreach sessions in the community, in which all group members are encouraged to participate. Also, every year, members of ONE LOVE have the opportunity to volunteer in Jamaica and work with people living in Riverton with the support of our parent organization, Students Crossing Borders.

For more information, check out the group’s Facebook page or official website, or email the group at .