We care about the region we call home. Its robust Mennonite community is known for the tradition of barn-raising, in which people pull together to achieve a common goal. The University of Waterloo shares these collaborative, community-oriented qualities.
Our students, faculty and staff participate in philanthropic and volunteer activities each year, fostering a strong sense of community, within our walls and beyond.
"University of Waterloo students have captured and contributed to the essence of neighbourliness through their engagement in Random Act of Kindness Day. And through these simple acts of kindness to neighbours and folks on the street, they have shown the community the assets that each of them has, and contributes to this community daily."
ROSEMARY SMITH, CEO, The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation
Facts and figures
- Welcomed 60,000+ members of the community for the past 31 years to our annual Canada Day Celebration, in partnership with the Federation of Students.
- Donated more than 36,000 units of blood to Canadian Blood Services over the past 40 years. This contribution has helped nearly 107,780 Canadians.
- Collected 4,900+ pounds of food through CanBuild, our annual campus wide food drive.
- Provided more than 6,540 meals to our community through our partnership with The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
- Raised more than $160,000 since 2008 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, through the Recreation and Athletics Department’s Think Pink campaign.
- Performed more than 7,000 acts of kindness during The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation’s Random Act of Kindness Day in 2014.
Did you know?
Since 1983, students, faculty and staff at the University of Waterloo have raised $2.46 million for the United Way Kitchener Waterloo & Area. Funds support local not-for-profit community organizations and make our community a better place.
The University of Waterloo campus gets decked out in red each year for our annual United Way campaign.
Waterloo's women's hockey team takes to the ice dressed in pink to support the 2014 Think Pink campaign.
The Engineering Advancement Team (E.A.T.) took home the award for most cans at CanBuild 2015.
Check out the highlights from our 2nd annual CanBuild competition and campus food drive.
Canadian rock legend, Kim Mitchell, performs live during our free outdoor concert at Canada Day 2015.
Watch our community enjoy the many free family activities at our 2015 Canada Day Celebration.
From the #UWCommunity blog
Spreading kindness in our community with #UWaterlooRAK
On November 7, 2014 the University of Waterloo teamed up with The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation and our Federation of Students to spread kindness on our campus and in the community.
#UWaterlooRAK day saw hundreds of students, staff, faculty, and community members giving and receiving random acts of kindness.
