Care packages distributed to students during COVID-19

After social distancing safety measures were implemented during the global COVID-19 pandemic, students at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) have been impacted in countless ways.

Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union (TRUSU) recently launched a program to distribute care packages to aid students that were facing financial, emotional, social and physical hardships. More than 1,300 students signed up for TRUSU’s Care Packages through an expression of interest last winter.

“Our target was initially to distribute 105 care packages, but due to the overwhelming interest from students, we increased our actuals to distribute a total of 825 care packages,” said Keegan Lawrence, TRUSU vice president. “The TRUSU Care Packages were distributed to students between November of 2020 and April of 2021.”

TRUSU’s Care Packages included items such as stress balls, re-usable water bottles, non-perishable foods as well as information to improve health and wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, some of the care packages included recipe cards to promote healthy, home-cooked meals during final exams.

“We know it has been a long year and as we navigate through the challenges of a global health care crisis, we continue to look for ways that we can support and connect with students during their time at TRU,” concluded Parth Patel, TRUSU entertainment coordinator. “As the TRUSU Care Package program concludes, we are happy to see how well the care packages were received from students.”