Submitted by Aqsa & Umniyah, Rotaract Club of University of Toronto - Mississauga
We are always so busy trying to take care of others, that oftentimes we forget to take care of ourselves. For that reason, this year UTM Rotaract club took the initiative of selling self-care packages all through the month of March. The purpose of the fundraiser was to increase mental health awareness, encourage self-care and raise funds for CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health).
The current state of the world due to COVID-19 has caused mental health to dip to an all-time low. By making and purchasing these care packages, we were able to do our part to add just a little bit of positivity to our community. Each care package cost $12 and it contained self-care items such as candles, soap, tea bags, and candies to help students de-stress during the busy midterm season. The packages were delivered to residents of Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, and Hamilton with the proceeds donated to CAMH.
Packages were purchased via a google order form on the Rotaract Instagram page, Facebook page, and website. In addition to our fundraising and mental health awareness goals, UTM Rotaract made every effort to create sustainable packages, all while supporting local businesses. Not only is much of the packaging of our care packages recyclable, items such as the candles, soap, and cookies were purchased from local sellers, and created ethically.
Our fundraiser was a great success and thanks to the generosity of donors such as the Ancaster Rotary Club and UTMSU grants, our fundraiser was fully funded. This meant all proceeds were donated to CAMH. We reached our goal and are excited to share that we raised almost $900 for CAMH! Our hope is that receiving this package made someone’s day, and encouraged them to take some time out for themselves, and their mental health. While fundraising has been especially difficult this year with the cancellation
of in-person events, we are thrilled to know that there are always alternatives out there that will allow us to continue to make a difference in our community. We hope that this wonderful event can now be an annual event, so for those who didn’t get a care package this year, there’s always next year!