For students like Sonika Kainth, community volunteering isn't reserved for a special
occasion or certain time of the year.

Kainth, a fourth-year health sciences student, spends time throughout the year
volunteering at Dr. Davey Elementary school in inner-city Hamilton. Working with the
school's breakfast program, she sees first-hand the impact that volunteers can have on
the communities they work in.

“It's a really diverse neighbourhood, and a number of children are from
underprivileged homes or are refugees,” she said. “Providing the kids with a healthy
breakfast is only the first step. We really put an emphasis on interacting and just
hanging out with them, whether it's solving a puzzle together or just asking them
about their day.”

“The kids I work with always melt my heart,” said Twishna Patel, a third year student in
psychology, neuroscience & behaviour who volunteers with the Learning and Fun
community centre program for children. The program engages academically-
challenged children and provides them with learning skills through fun and creative
peer-mentoring activities.

“We do everything from academic tutoring to playing educational games with the kids,”
said Patel. “Many of them have learning disabilities. I think the children and I get a lot
out of it.”

The Eva Rothwell Community Centre provides extracurricular activities, games and
snacks for young children from underprivileged homes and schools. Melissa
Fernandes, a science graduate who is pursuing a second degree at McMaster in health
sciences, finds her time at Eva Rothwell to be very rewarding.

“A lot of these children don't get these kinds of simple benefits anywhere else, so to
help them is what keeps me volunteering and is why I love it so much.”

These programs, like 134 others, are supported by the United Way, an organization
dedicated to making a difference in the Hamilton and Burlington communities.
McMaster University, which has supported the United Way for a number of years, is
more than half of the way to its 2010 fundraising goal. According to United Way
committee co-chair Michele Corbeil, the campaign's continued momentum is the result
of a great deal of hard work on the part of a number of people.

“From students, staff and faculty who volunteer in the community to those who donate
to the campaign to all of our dedicated committee members, there are a lot of people
working very hard to ensure the United Way is able to perform the great work that it
does,” she said.