On a cold December day, a group of determined individuals set out to make a difference in their community. These were not your average volunteers – they were the employees from the Office of Advancement at Queen's University, coming together for their annual year-end celebration.

 But this wasn't just a chance to reconnect and have some fun – it was also an opportunity for them to give back to the city of Kingston and its underserved communities. Nearly 100 Advancement employees spent their afternoon volunteering at organizations such as The Fairmount Home, Kingston Humane Society, and Partners in Mission Food Bank.

With a spirit of collaboration and a desire to make a positive impact, the staff worked together to clean, organize, and even gather a final vegetable crop of the season. They even took the time to write holiday cards for long-term care residents.

“We appreciate all the hard work that went into making them. Our residents will certainly enjoy them very much,” says Katie Johnson, recreationist from the Fairmount Home.

“As a department, with many remote or hybrid employees, we genuinely appreciate the importance of community,” says Karen Bertrand, Vice-Principal (Advancement). "When we have a chance to come together as a group, we build connections as colleagues, but we can also be part of a larger movement for positive change.”

For Advancement staff members, this year-end gathering was a chance to get to know Kingston and the values of the community that Queen’s calls home.

“As a team, we've all benefited from living or working in Kingston,” says one staff member. “Being able to give something back to the people and organizations that work tirelessly to support this region was a memorable experience for our entire team.”

Through their dedication and hard work, the Office of Advancement staff made a lasting impact on the Kingston community through service and compassion.