Change does start here.

TRU kicked off it’s 2013 United Way fundraising campaign the morning of Oct. 16.

As many of the TRU community get behind the annual United Way campaign on campus this fall, faculty and students involved in TRU’s Small Cities Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) continue their evolving partnership with the Thompson Nicola Cariboo United Way and Kamloops Homelessness Action Plan (HAP) to undertake community-engaged research. Three new research projects were added to CURA’s Memorandum of Understanding with HAP and the United Way in July.

The Days of Caring project, led by Economics professor Dr. Laura Lamb, examines the impact the Day of Caring volunteer initiative had on those who donated their time to non-profits in the form of manual labour, in terms of their commitment and further giving to the community and United Way.

Lamb is also partnering with Changing the Face of Poverty on Fringe Finance, a project investigating whether someone with low financial literacy is more likely to use fringe financial institutions like payday loan services. Working with Lamb as interviewers were Business students Keenan Ratushniak and Felicia Girouard. They hope the results will help Changing the Face of Poverty provide an alternative to payday loans.

“No Straight Lines” is a multimedia theatre project led by Visual and Performing Arts chair Robin Nichol, aimed at ending homelessness through creative exploration and life skills development. The name refers to the fact that there is no one straight path out of homelessness but many paths with curves to navigate, challenges that participation in theatre may help alleviate. Look for a live performance in summer 2014.

These projects are just a few examples of the kind of research TRU faculty and students can collaborate on with non-profit partners, for the benefit of people in our community.

Opportunities for change do not end with the CURA. Students and faculty interested in partnering with non-profit agencies on UREAP, Service Learning, or Directed Studies projects, or through internal or external research grants, had a chance to discuss potential areas for community-engaged research at TRU’s Non-Profit Information Fair on October 22. The fair also gave the TRU community a chance to find out how our United Way donations are put to work.

Will Garrett-Petts, former Director of the CURA and now AVP Research and Graduate Studies, encourages others interested in working with community partners to consult with the Research Office, which is “ready and willing to provide advice on community-engaged research—and to help set up further partnerships.”

TRU’s United Way campaign continues until November 1, highlighting the many ways in which staff, faculty and students give back to our community.