Centennial College’s weekend food drive for the great people of Ukraine wrapped up on Sunday afternoon, March 27. I am so very proud to say that our Scarborough and Greater Toronto community came through for us by donating 10,000 pounds (4535 kg) of much-needed nutritional food!
Eighty volunteer students from our Police Foundations, Pre-Service Firefighter, Paramedic and Community & Justice programs worked together all weekend to make it happen. Not only did they roll up their sleeves, but they also learned what can be done when we come together. It’s been said that there’s no "I" in "team" and this past weekend Centennial, Toronto Police and the Ukrainian Canadian Medical Association joined efforts to accomplish our goal of helping others in need.
It started as a discussion last month between myself and my wife about how troubled I was watching the humanitarian tragedy happening to innocent Ukrainians, especially mothers, children and the elderly, who were struggling to get out of harm’s way. I told my wife I had to do something. I knew that by involving two great organizations – my Centennial family and the Toronto Police Service, from which I had retired after 36 years – we could collectively do some good.
I reached out to my Centennial colleagues Mike Wood, John Margetson and Chris Collins to put a plan together. I also spoke to Rita Morehouse, our Chair, who was all in and supportive from day one. From there I was introduced to two fantastic people, Yuliia Omekianchuk and Ulyana Polovka of the Ukrainian Canadian Medical Association, who worked tirelessly to get us connected to all the right resources. Then our great Toronto Police partners at 43, 42 and 41 Divisions jumped on board and were instrumental in transporting the donated food from Centennial to the Mississauga warehouse.
Police were also going into the Scarborough community and arranging more food donations from local grocery stores, which didn't hesitate to contribute once they heard it was for the people of Ukraine. Mike Wood also made sure we had volunteer firefighters from the Toronto Fire Service this weekend to pitch in for the cause.
The public came through with donations of non-perishable food items, with an emphasis on infant formula, additional baby and toddler foods and cereals, as well as Ensure and other nutritional drinks for older adults. Working directly with the Red Cross on logistics, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and Ukrainian Canadian Medical Association will make certain much of the donated food will be shipped to Ukraine. And as more Ukrainian refugees arrive in Canada with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, some of the donated items will be prioritized for them.
Two more wonderful people from the Ukrainian Canadian Medical Association, Tetiana Paratchuk and Marta Polovka, addressed the students, faculty, college management, corporate professionals and police officers with a pep talk, educating all of us on the situation both in Europe and for Ukrainian refugees arriving in Canada, and how important the food drive is.
There are just so many people to thank for coming out and lending a hand. In addition to our student volunteers, it was great to see Centennial College President Craig Stephenson, Vice-President Academic Marilyn Herie, our Dean Veronique Henry, Chairs Rita Morehouse and Jennifer Woodill, and their collective families and partners on site to donate food and engage with our volunteers. And let’s not forget our local Home Depot, which donated 400 cardboard boxes, along with packing tape from Follett Bookstores.
On a very small note, Sunday was my birthday and my wife had asked me what I had wished for. My answer was to be younger (of course), but my second birthday wish was for our food drive to be a success. I’d say filling a five-ton truck with food is a pretty good measure of success!
All of our volunteers, partners and community members should be immensely proud that Centennial College and the Toronto Police 43, 42, and 41 Divisions came together so quickly, and deftly, to accomplish this. So many people toiling behind the scenes leading up to this weekend made it happen.
Hats off and well done everyone!
Howie Page,
Coordinator and Professor
Police Foundations program