Giving when it matters most

Calgary is known for its community spirit, especially in times of crisis. In this webinar, we talk to two community leaders about the innovative ways they're lending a hand during the coronavirus pandemic — both to frontline health-care workers and to people who've been hit hard by prevention measures. We also highlight ways people in the community can help as part of this year's Giving Day, either by providing for students in need or by donating to research efforts to fight COVID-19.

About the speakers

Siavash Zare-Zadeh, BHSc ’20, is a recent graduate from the Cumming School of Medicine who started the volunteer-based organization, YYC Grocery Delivery. What started as a Kijiji ad to offer free grocery shopping and delivery to at-risk and older Calgarians has transformed into a team of 120+ volunteers, including UCalgary students. Since its inception three weeks ago, the group has completed 75+ deliveries. Their mission is to ensure vulnerable Calgarians don’t have to choose between staying safe at home and getting the essential groceries they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The overwhelmingly positive support from the Calgary community continues to fuel this mission.

Lourdes Juan, BGs'05, MEDes'09, is an urban planner and a Calgary-based entrepreneur. She shares her time with the diverse companies and non-profits she has founded, including Hive Developments, Soma Spa, the Leftovers Foundation, Fresh Routes and Moonlight Market Foundation. She sits on the board of directors of HomeSpace Society and D.Talks and is a commissioner with the Calgary Planning Commission. Her awards and accolades include being named one of Avenue’s Top 40 Under 40 and CBC's Top 10 Changemakers, and receiving the L’Oreal Paris’ Women of Worth award, the Culbert Philanthropy Award and a Celebrated Alumni Award from the University of Calgary's Faculty of Arts. Lourdes is also a Distinguished Graduate from the University of Calgary. She continues to be involved with community work and to give back to her profession. 

About the moderator

Nuvyn Peters is the vice-president of Advancement at the University of Calgary. Peters joined UCalgary in July 2014 to lead the university’s historic $1.3-billion Energize campaign. Under her leadership, the campaign has exceeded $1 billion, and the university was recently included as one of only two post-secondary institutions in the Globe and Mail’s list of the top 25 fundraising institutions in Canada.

Recorded on April 23, 2020