On Wednesday, January 26, the Mount will celebrate a rather unique tradition. Caritas Day, or, “A Day of Caring,” was founded by the Sisters of Charity to encourage volunteerism and giving back to the community.

This year, the Mount community has come together to do just that. Students, staff and faculty have organized events that will allow those involved to provide valuable services to the campus and broader community.

“Social Justice and charitable work is deep rooted in the Mount’s history,” says Dr. Peter Mombourquette, Chair of the Department of Business and Tourism. “Caritas Day tradition is an opportunity to increase Mount student interaction with the Sisters as well as with the on and off campus community.”

Dr. Mombourquette and the Department of Business and Tourism have partnered with the Sisters of Charity and are holding one of the volunteer events on Caritas Day. The event takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and allows participants to take part in various activities, including a door-to-door food drive in support of the Mount’s Food Resource Center, which provides food to students who cannot afford it.   For more information, click here.

Another Caritas Day event is a food drive being held by the Mount Wellness Committee. “Stuffing a Truck,” volunteers will be loading donated items into a truck in support of FEED Nova Scotia. Free coffee and cookies will be made available in the Rosaria lobby between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to thank those who donate. For more information contact June Lumsden at june.lumsden@msvu.ca.

For those who are unable to take part in events on Caritas Day, there are other opportunities to give back and support members of our own campus community, such as making a food donation to the Mount’s Student Food Resource Centre.

“It is stunning how many students can’t afford food, and not just young students but mature students who are also struggling to support a family,” Dr. Mombourquette notes, “The Student Resource Center helps change that.”   

Members of the Mount community can donate non-perishable food items to the Student Resource Centre at the Rosaria Information Desk any time from January 24-27.