Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (UOIT) campus Holiday Food Drive committee has reported a record year in fundraising with $42,000 raised to create hampers and financial assistance packages to help 172 students and their families, including 218 children.

Staff, faculty, students and volunteers from DC and UOIT, in partnership with the Student Association and the Kinsmen Club of Oshawa, demonstrated a tremendous outpouring of help and generosity to support the annual tradition. Financial donations and non-perishable food items were collected during November and December and several fundraising events and initiatives were held on campus.

Korina Keays, who will graduate from DC’s Office Administration – Medical program this spring, told the Oshawa Express newspaper she learned about the campus Holiday Food Drive from a friend and was overjoyed with the support. Read more about Keays’ story.

“The Holiday Food Drive truly brings our entire community together to support our own,” said Kevin Dougherty, co-chair of the campus Holiday Food Drive.

Dougherty and Pat Vale-Dougherty have volunteered with the campus Holiday Food Drive for 15 years, and began co-chairing it in 2006.

Dougherty graduated from the Business Administration, Information Systems program in 1998 and is currently a professor with DC’s School of Business, IT & Management, while Vale-Dougherty graduated from Graphic Design in 1976 and is currently executive assistant to the dean of UOIT’s Faculty of Education.

As an employee of DC, Kevin was the recipient of the DC Faculty Award of Excellence for 2014; serves as the elected academic staff member on the DC Board of Governors (the Board); and serves as vice-chair of the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board. It is a little known fact that Pat originally began her time at UOIT in 2001, assisting with the DC project team to help prepare the plans for the new university.