Blankets for T.O - The student led organization bringing together the UTSC community
Blankets for T.O. is the largest charity on campus run by University of Toronto Scarborough students. It was founded at UTSC in 2019. Since then, they have been doing outreach to shelters in the GTA and donated 10,522 items to the homeless community.
Student volunteers at the Feed Scarborough event. Photo Credits: (Blankets For T.O)
The organization that graciously gives
As the temperatures drop, we head inside to keep warm and cozy in the comfort of our own homes. People who are experiencing homelessness don’t have the same luxury. As students, we may not be aware of how much we can do to help people experiencing homelessness in our city.
Driven by passion, advocacy and a lot of heart, this non-profit organization is helping the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with the power of student engagement. Blankets for T.O (BTO) is the largest charity on campus run by University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) students. It was founded at UTSC in 2019. Since then, they have been doing outreach to shelters in the GTA and donated 10,522 items to the homeless community.
“We are advocating for homelessness in Toronto, which is not often talked about enough, especially during winter or in COVID times,” said Tiffany Bishun, Co-President of BTO.
“It was very hard for them, and we established that need, that there needs to be action taken.”
Every month BTO takes action to help those in need. They graciously receive donations from people in the GTA and give them to shelters. They coordinate with them over email to pick up their donations. The generous contributions range from bags of blankets, comforters, quilts, sheets, and pillows. Around 10 to 15 bags are donated to one shelter a month. Their most recent donation was to Homes First. A few of the many shelters they have served are Toronto Family Residence, Eva’s place (youth shelter), Belinda's Place, and Parkdale Community Health Centre.
Blankets for T.O donations. Photo Credits: (Blankets For T.O)
Helping out people experiencing homelessness as the colder season approaches
BTO has taken initiative to help during the beginning of the cold season. On Oct. 15, 17, and 22, they did a food drive tabling at the UTSC student centre. BTO collected food donations for the Scarborough Security Food Initiative. They used the donations on Oct. 24 at their Feed Scarborough event. They recruited UTSC students to volunteer for the Scarborough Food Security Initiative. The day was filled with packaging meals, meal preparations, and organizing the warehouse for food.
However, it doesn’t stop there. They’re currently organizing their annual Christmas care package-making event. This year, they aim to gather students around mid to late November.
"It's a very collaborative environment because they all come together and we're assembling care kits together in a room that we would have at UTSC,” said Bishun. The care packages that UTSC students assemble for the winter often include blankets, hats, gloves, and hygiene products. Beyond just the basic necessities to get through the cold, BTO adds a personal touch of human connection between students and people experiencing homelessness. Students are able to write notes and put them in the care packages. Stay safe, have a great Christmas break, or have a great winter are a few simple, but thoughtful messages that can extend a warm hug.
“If they've had any experiences facing homelessness or if they know a family member or a friend facing homelessness, they could share it with each other in that positive space as well as let out their feelings by writing these notes to homeless individuals,” said Bishun.
A sense of community at UTSC
It’s no secret that BTO never fails to provide a sense of community. On Oct. 23, BTO hosted their Crave-it Up event, a ‘spooktacular’ night of pumpkin carving, fun activities, and lots of laughs. This event was meant for the UTSC community to connect while spreading awareness of the organization.
BTO functions with the dedication of student volunteers. “Having students contribute to our mission really makes it a lot more possible for us, especially for the care package events,” said Haraniya Vasanthakumar, Head of the donations and Co-VP of community engagement at BTO. “The more people that show up, the more care packages that we can make and the better outcomes that we can have.”
Not only do students get the opportunity to strengthen the community by helping those in need, but they also learn more about homelessness.
“One of the most important things that someone has said to me after the event, and it really stuck, was that; ‘I didn't know homelessness was such a big issue in our community’. They said that they're really glad that initiatives like ours exist to help the homeless because it's something that's not often talked about,” Bishun shared. “That was really amazing to hear because it shows that we're providing such an impact on these students.”
