It’s not a cliché to say that many good things happen when people break bread together. When that happens in your home-away-from-home dorm kitchen, that’s an excellent opportunity to build relationships and bond together.
Thanks to a thoughtful and “tasty” Renew and Re-found Campaign donation from an entire family that believes in equity, not to mention the mission and values of Pearson and the UWC movement, all five student resident Houses now have full dayroom kitchens exclusively for student use.
“We felt strongly that it was important to make House kitchen and full cooking facilities available to every student,” said a member of the family who wishes to remain anonymous. “We were happy to help make that possible by supporting the construction of two full kitchens HENEN¸ and QOL¸EW̱_ Houses this past summer.”
ŦÁ¸WEN House kitchen was updated several years ago while SȾOḰI¸ was completed in 2022, says Ty Pile, Vice President of Operations and Administration.
A shot of SȾOḰI¸’s newly renovated kitchen
“Doing three kitchens simultaneously saved the College significant costs on labour, freeing up funds for scholarships or other infrastructure needs,” adds Pile. “While we had set aside capital to install a kitchen in ŦEḴI¸ House during this year’s summer break, the donors’ generosity made it possible to complete kitchens in HENEN¸ and QOL¸EW̱_ Houses which were originally scheduled to be installed in 2024 and 2025.”
Pile points out that House kitchens allow and encourage students to prepare food for special occasions, including religious and cultural observances, complementing meals served at the campus dining hall and occasional invitations to visit resident Houseparent kitchens.
“For me, the really heartening part of this story is that, when we say entire family, we mean the entire family contributed,” says Carly Milloy, Director Advancement and External Relations. “Earnings from a younger family member’s summer job helped make up part of the total contribution – this really sends a positive message that you are never too young to begin your journey of support for causes that are close to your heart.”