The Weather Outside is Frightful, but Saint Thomas’ Winter Warm-up is Delightful

A couple of weeks ago Saint Thomas University posted a request on their website asking for donations of lightly used winter clothing to use for their annual winter warm-up event.

The University has a vibrant international presence with 11% of the student body being made up of international students from 41 different countries across the world. Each year as different international students apply, the demand to accommodate to their individual needs increases as well.

The winter warm-up hopes to provide students with cozy jackets, mittens, and hats that they otherwise may have trouble buying to prepare for the winters.

Natalia Rodriguez, a fourth-year student studying Communications and Political Economy, has been helping run the event since her first year at the university. Originally from San Jose, Costa Rica, Rodriguez has been passionate since her first year in making students comfortable in their new home on campus.

 

Rodriguez says this event continues to be a popular resource for international students during an unfamiliar season. In many countries, such as Rodriguez’s home Costa Rica, temperatures may only get as cold as 15 degrees in what would otherwise be during the peak of the winter season.

Many international students come to Canada faced with the prospect of having to purchase their own brand-new set of warm clothing that can cost hundreds of dollars. With tuition, rent, and food expenses already on the table, many students find themselves in monetary trouble before the winter season even begins. Rodriguez wants this event to inspire community and a sense of security among the international student body.

“Since the beginning, we really wanted to create a safe space for all students to be able to come and grab any winter essentials that they might need and may not be completely able to afford, or at least lose one of their expenses, as students really struggle sometimes financially”.

This year the University had many generous contributions from staff who gladly opened their closets to assist with the cause. Another student’s grandmother, who runs a community knitting group, also offered up unique hats, scarves, and gloves.

After the donations came in, students were then invited to pick up any of the clothes or boots they needed. The warm-up ran for a whole day, however, much of the clothing was gone within the first hour after the event opened in one of the main buildings on campus. Students then had the option to leave a note of gratitude for the donors if they pleased.

The chair of this year’s event is Carla Guibovich, a first-year student from Venezuela that joined the international students association as soon as she arrived in New Brunswick.

Guibovich enjoys participating because she feels it’s important to make international students in particular feel welcomed to the school.

“I started working for the international student office mainly because I am an international student myself, and I really wanted to plan events for other international students just so they feel like STU [Saint Thomas University] is their home”.

Initiatives such as the winter warm-up make students feel at home and attract more international applicants for the school each year.

Ensuring these new students feel comfortable to open up in a new environment is one of the many reasons the student body continues to grow in size and delight.

The University hopes to continue the winter warm-up for years to come and is always looking for volunteers to help run it.

As the winter season gets closer and the temperatures continue to drop, students can be assured they’re well prepared for the winter season with this warm-up event in place each year.