When five Georgian students lost their rental home due to a fire last year, the impact was devastating, but at least they could rely on the Georgian Food Locker for free food. Whenever students have to choose between buying books or paying rent, the Food Locker is there for them. Through the loss of a job or unexpected expenses, the Georgian Food Locker continues to be there to support our students because our donors are always there to support the Food Locker.

While the pandemic caused financial hardship for many in our communities, 104 donors were still able to step up (some repeatedly) and raise almost $22,000 in the 2020/21 fiscal year. When our students don’t have to worry about paying for food, they can pay for other important things, and as Alexandra Aiken tells us, they can focus on their studies and fulfill their dreams.

It all started when Georgian Advancement Committee member, Giselle Bodkin, founded the WOMEN'S InTUITION endowment fund in 2015, in honour of her late sister-in-law who studied nursing at Georgian. Over the years, donors have contributed almost $650,000 to the fund, helping 194 female students through awards, scholarships and bursaries worth a total value of $203,400. Thanks to our generous donors, recipients like Samantha Dhillon can worry less about finances and focus on achieving their academic, career and personal goals.