From the judges: Very practical outreach that showcased how the University values its senior alumni, particularly in the face of the pandemic. This also brought students into direct contact with alumni very effectively. To formalize the effort in this way is impressive and a strong statement of Queens’ community mindedness, core values, and commitment to its alumni.
The Queen's Community Connections Project: Reducing Isolation Through Connection
Category
Alumni Relations > Alumni Relations Pivot
Description
Award: Gold
Institution: Queen's University
Title of Entry: The Queen's Community Connections Project: Reducing Isolation Through Connection
About this Entry: With fundraising on hold at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Queen's Alumni Relations and Annual Giving shifted our focus from raising funds to strengthening relationships with student and alumni constituents.
Launched in May of 2020 in response to the social isolation being exacerbated by the pandemic, we reallocated fundraisers' time to work with Queen's alumna and leading aging expert, Laura Tamblyn Watts (Artsci’94) of CanAge to develop the Queen's Community Connections Project (QCCP). This innovative program calls upon Queen's student volunteers to engage with our older alumni through weekly telephone conversations.
QCCP empowers students and older alumni alike to build meaningful connections week after week. With thorough training and regular check-ins, we work closely with our student volunteers to ensure they are able to identify and triage any red flags that may arise. Anecdotally, we are hearing many success stories outlining the positive effects of this program for both the older alumni as well as the student volunteers.