Sign in
Join now, it's FREE!
Loneliness is a difficult thing to deal with, usually those who face it are left to their own devices.
The Canadian Federation of University Women is helping to provide meaningful connections between members, and helping students along the way.
“When the Canadian Federation of University Women started off, it was a way to join women together who had pursued post-secondary education in terms of activism, fellowship, and community,” Terri Beckwith, a member of the CFUW Burlington said. “It has evolved since then into an organization that supports causes in Canada and throughout the world.”
Today, there are around 94 clubs across Canada with 6,500 combined members who raise more $1 million each year. There are approximately 80 members in Burlington.
That money is not only going towards charity, but for the Burlington group, scholarships for women at each high school in the city. The amount of money per scholarship varies each year, and a list of scholarship recipients is available on CFUW Burlington’s website.
“It’s every public and catholic high school in Burlington,” Beckwith said. “Between the two boards, that’s 11 schools. So young women who have achieved high marks – as well as having assumed a strong leadership position in their school – are selected to receive a leadership award, and that’s where the scholarship money comes in.”
Beckwhith, a semi-retired English teacher in Oakville, was brought to the group by a coworker. Within the federation, there are several sub-groups that members can join for specalized areas of interest.
The two teachers went into the education group, but Beckwith said there is an arts appreciation group, plus groups for activities such as pickleball and golf. Groups hold their own meetings regularly with guest speakers for each specialization, in addition to regular meetings for all members.
“The club has something for everyone, you can be as involved as you want, and the sense of community and lifelong friendships I see from being a part of it for the last two years demonstrates this sense of belonging and community extends over the decades,” Beckwith said.
Each year, CFUW groups choose themes to follow – this year’s education theme being mental health and anxiety in high school and university. The education group is planning events to educate members further on the struggles that students are facing today.
“We have a connection with a university professor, we’ve got a connection with the social worker from Abbey Park High School, so we’re going to invite them to speak and try to come up with some ideas about how we as a group can help,” Beckwith said.
Members of CFUW are not required to have attended college or university, but only need to be interested in continuing education.
The group is always looking for new members of all age groups, and looking for new people who may have never heard of the club before.
Anyone interested in joining CFUW Burlington can reach Beckwith at [email protected]
Chris Arnold
© 2024 BurlingtonToday.com
