United Way Day of Caring: Reconnecting with the Corporate Community
Abrigo Centre returned this month to hosting corporate visitors
By: Gerry Luciano, Manager, Fundraising and Communications | July 14, 2023
After a three plus year absence the Abrigo Centre returned this month to hosting corporate visitors from the United Way Greater Toronto Day of Caring program. The long-awaited return of smiling faces and the unbridled enthusiasm of a group of eager volunteers was as welcome as brilliant sunshine after a prolonged rainstorm.
On Thursday, June 8 a group of six keen volunteers from Simplii Financial made the trek to Abrigo to assist with common daily activities, and a few special assignments, associated with Abrigo’s Life and Hope Educational and Recreational program for seniors.
On Thursday, June 8 a group of six keen volunteers from Simplii Financial made the trek to Abrigo to assist with common daily activities, and a few special assignments, associated with Abrigo’s Life and Hope Educational and Recreational program for seniors.
The Life and Hope program has returned to its pre-pandemic schedule of three days a week at Abrigo, albeit with a reduced number of clients per day to help keep the virus in check.
“The return of United Way Day of Caring volunteers brings us back full circle after so much time away,” says Abrigo Executive Director Ed Graça. “All of our seniors were anticipating the day and needless to say, they were overjoyed to have the Simplii Financial team spend the morning with them. It was just like old times!”
For most of the volunteers on the Simplii Financial team, it was their first United Way Greater Toronto Day of Caring event. “Our team is super grateful for the amazing work the Abrigo Centre has done for this community for 33 years,” says Rachel Demesa, a Senior Manager with Simplii Financial. “The centre brings so much joy to these clients. Abrigo creates a sense of community, belonging and allows the seniors to be their authentic selves.”
On the surface you wouldn’t recognize the fact that many of women in the Life and Hope program are survivors of intimate partner violence. The overwhelming joy one feels while visiting the program is a testimony to the volunteer leaders within the program and their ability to connect people and give them the opportunity to grow as individuals or relax their guard, if only for a few hours each week.
“From singing, gardening, cleaning and cooking for 40, my team and I really enjoyed our experiences at the Abrigo Centre,” says Ms. Demesa. “It was a great day filled with so much compassion and empathy. We were super grateful and happy to bring more smiles to the clients.”
“I highly recommend this agency for any corporate community volunteering in the future,” said Ms. Demesa. “The joy and compassion our team shared after the event was quite impactful.”
One of the benefits of the United Way Day of Caring event is that it exposes all the good work an agency like Abrigo does in its community to a new group of GTA corporations. “Over the years, we’ve had a number of groups in for a visit and they knew very little to nothing about our agency,” says Mr. Graça. “All left however with the knowledge that Abrigo is doing incredible work, not just with the seniors, but with students, newcomers, parents, and men who have abused their spouses or partners and ordered by the court system to attend educational classes.”
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