What do you get when you mix together a group of students looking to make a tangible difference in the community while at the same time forming real friendships? Eyes of Hope!
Eyes of Hope (EOH) is a club on campus that is aimed at alleviating poverty in both the local and international community, while developing leadership skills and having fun at the same time! The organization is currently involved in a number of different initiatives on the local level with a focus on homeless outreach. Taking part in sandwich runs to provide homeless individuals with food and nutrition, painting umbrellas with homeless youth as a means of therapy and self-expression, and volunteering at homeless shelters and food banks, EOH works to understand the issues and destigmatize homelessness.
Even more impressively, EOH has had a number of successes working and supporting large non-profit organizations. For instance, EOH has raised a whopping $8500 for Free the Children to build a school in Sierra Leone and also raises funds to provide school supplies and teacher training in developing nations. The club is also sponsoring two children through World Vision. Finally, EOH started the U of T Habitat for Humanity Campaign and soon other campus clubs joined in the effort to raise $80,000 to Moneygram online sponsor a U of T Habitat home, 30% of which has already been raised.
Success at EOH, however isn’t just defined by how much money is raised for these various organizations, it is also equally important that members can do what they enjoy by getting involved in whichever EOH initiatives they are interested in and develop their leadership and interpersonal skills at the same time. EOH provides a rich experience and friendships that our textbooks just can’t provide!
For a taste of EOH’s work, be sure to check out the following events:
- Umbrella painting – Tuesday evenings at Knox Church. You can sign up here if you’re interested.
- Sandwich run (Fri Nov 5, 5-8pm, GB117): You can sign up here if you’re interested.
So if doing good is something you’re interested in (and we hope it is!), consider getting involved with Eyes of Hope. Send an email to or visit their Facebook page or website for more information.
The Discovery Series is a monthly speaker and networking series hosted by the Nspire Innovation Network that focuses on the exchange of ideas on specific topics in innovation. Launching this month, the first theme of the Discovery Series is Building a Business with Social Media. Speakers include Erin Bury, Community Manager at Sprouter, Soniya Monga, Community Manager at Techvibes and Linkedin, and Terry Foster, PR expert at ConnectedN.