Open Circle celebrates 10 years of connecting students to the community

The impact of McMaster Open Circle's volunteer work has been felt by many in the
Hamilton community over the years.

Among the many success stories, one recent example stands out in coordinator
Marybeth Leis Druery's mind. Last winter, the Hamilton Settlement and Integration
Services Organization, which helped recent immigrants transition into life in Hamilton,
closed
its doors. The closure left McMaster students, who were volunteering through Open
Circle's Community Volunteer Action (CVA) group, without a home for the after-school
tutoring program they had been running at the office.

“The high school students who were being tutored contacted our McMaster students to
tell them that they wanted to continue the program somehow,” said Leis Druery, who
started the Open Circle program with partner Jeff Druery. “They said that they wouldn't
still be in school if not for the tutoring.” The program was re-located to the Central
Library.

For 10 years McMaster Open Circle has connected University students with high-impact
community volunteer placements like the high school tutoring program. Through the
Open Circle volunteer group, students work with at-risk children and youth, adults
living with disabilities, recent immigrants and at homeless shelters. Open Circle also
brings students together to explore deeper meanings, values and social justice in a
respectful and safe place, offering meditation, group discussion and personal reflection
sessions.

The Druerys started Open Circle to fill two needs they perceived at McMaster. One was
to create a safe space for spiritual exploration, where diversity is respected and all
faiths are welcome.

“We noticed how there were many specific faith groups at McMaster but no place where
people from a diversity of backgrounds could explore spirituality,” said Leis Druery.

The second was to facilitate student volunteerism in the downtown core and north end
of the city.

This weekend, Open Circle is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. The anniversary is also
a celebration of the success of the Community Volunteer Action group, which has
increased from 40 participants to more than 300 over the course of one decade.

“The impact of students being involved in volunteering at Mac and in the community has
a long-term effect on what they do in their life,” said Leis Druery.

Over the weekend, McMaster alumni will gather to share how their experiences with
Open Circle and the volunteer group had an impact on their lives.

“Community Volunteer Action has shaped me into the individual I am today: a globally
conscious, community-oriented social activist,” said alumnus Kevin Wang. “CVA
provided me with the opportunity and awareness to act and for that I am grateful to
have been part of this organization.”

The 10th anniversary reunion activities will include a group outing to the art crawl on
James Street North and a day of volunteering on Saturday followed by an evening of live
music and tasty treats. More information is available on the Open Circle website.

Open Circle is an official McMaster Students Union club, while Community Volunteer
Action is an OPIRG working group. Their activities are supported by Student Open
Circles, a registered charity run by the Druerys and a team of volunteers.