City of Hamilton and United Way Halton & Hamilton launch Toys for Tickets, enabling residents to pay parking fines through toy donations
From Dec. 2 to 6, 2024, Hamilton residents have the chance to transform their parking fines into holiday cheer through the Toys for Tickets pilot program. During this period, individuals who have been issued parking tickets can pay their fines by donating a new, unwrapped toy of equal or greater value than their ticket.
The donated toys will be distributed through United Way Halton & Hamilton as part of its Holiday Helping Hand program. Kristen Jacob, vice president of marketing and communications for the organization, highlighted that the program aligns with its mission to support community well-being through initiatives targeting youth, poverty and mental health.
"[Toys for Tickets] is a program that offers meaningful ways for the community to engage with United Way and support their community . . . It is critical for our community to receive some of these toys so that children have a joyous holiday season," said Jacob.
It is critical for our community to receive some of these toys so that children have a joyous holiday season.
Kristen Jacob, Vice President of Marketing and Communications
United Way Halton & Hamilton
United Way Halton & Hamilton supported over 220,500 individuals and families across 124 social service programs last year. Jacob highlighted that one in six people in Hamilton access their services and the demand continues to increase.
"[The] thing is that when we ask family members what their wish lists are for the year or the program, they come back with things that are a little shocking to us," Jacob explained, describing that wish lists included gift cards for gas, basic hygiene products and food.
Jacob also highlighted the program's unique impact. "It gives an extra layer of compassion from people who already need to pay that fine, knowing that the toys being donated through this program are going to families who desperately need them this year . . . [the toys] gives them something to look forward to," said Jacob.
It gives an extra layer of compassion from people who already need to pay that fine, knowing that the toys being donated through this program are going to families who desperately need them this year.
Kristen Jacob, Vice President of Marketing and Communications
United Way Halton & Hamilton
In addition to Toys for Tickets, United Way encourages the community to explore other ways to give back. Options include online donations, monthly giving, or volunteering.
Looking ahead, United Way Halton & Hamilton is preparing for its Sleepless in Our Cities program in February 2025. This event raises awareness about poverty by inviting participants to spend a night in their vehicles to better understand the realities of homelessness.
FCC and MSU Maroons revive Halloween food security campaign, going door-to-door in McMaster neighbourhoods to collect donations for first time since 2015
This Halloween, the McMaster Students Union Food Collective Centre hosted its annual Trick-or-Eat food collection campaign in the Hub, collaborating with the McMaster Students Union Maroons for the first time since 2015. On Oct. 30, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., FCC and Maroon volunteers went door-to-door in the neighbourhoods surrounding campus to collect non-perishable items for the FCC's food pantry and fridge.
The FCC, located on the third floor of the Hub, is a student-run service that offers resources to students, faculty and Hamilton community members year-round to address food insecurity amid rising food prices.
Trick-or-Eat is a youth-led national event that adds a charitable twist to Halloween by raising funds and collecting food items for local agencies. This campaign is held across the country and aims to address food insecurity in Canadian households.
Last year, FCC's Trick-or-Eat ran over the course of a week, accepting non-perishable and hygiene items at donation boxes on and off campus. This year, the campaign went door-to-door in five main areas: Westdale, Dalewood, Ofield Road, Leland and Whitney and Emerson at Main Street West and Thorndale. Acceptable donations included non-perishable foods and hygiene products.
FCC social and political advocacy coordinator Siya Sood discussed the event’s organization, which was planned with MSU Maroon event coordinators.
“With the Maroons helping us out, we have more people to go door to door. We hope that in addition to donations, we can interact with members of the McMaster community so they can hopefully hear about our services and know what is available to them if they choose to utilize them,” said Sood.
This year, with the Maroons helping us out, we have more people to go door to door. We hope that in addition to donations, we can interact with members of the McMaster community so they can hopefully hear about our services and know what is available to them if they choose to utilize them.
Siya Sood, Social and Political Advocacy Coordinator
Food Collective Centre
Sood also noted that the FCC’s move to the Hub has increased visibility among students, as the new building is a high-traffic space and is more accessible.
“Having the campaign located in the Hub, a high-traffic, new space compared to our previous location at Bridges Cafe, means people who might not have considered using our services may be more encouraged to do so, as it is more welcoming and easier to access,” said Sood.
Sood emphasized that even students without items to donate could still participate by becoming socially aware and learning more about the FCC's services.
For those outside the collection areas, the FCC arranged donation pickups through a Google Form. For more information on the Trick-or-Eat campaign and the FCC, visit their social media and website.
Community Fridges HamOnt makes food more accessible within the Hamilton community.
Community fridges are free, accessible fridges holding food for the community to take and replenish. Community Fridges HamOnt does this within Hamilton, at three different locations.
Jacqueline Cantar, one of the founders and program coordinators, and the team began their work in the midst of the pandemic, near the end of 2020, when food insecurity was a highly debated issue. The Community Fridges HamOnt team is entirely volunteer-based, contributing whatever resources they have to keep the fridges functional.
“Community Fridges HamOnt is a mutual aid group in Hamilton. We are not a charity organization; we are entirely volunteer, community run. That means we are just neighbors looking out for each other and trying to contribute whatever it is we have available,” said Cantar.
Their goal for the fridge is to make food accessible within the community. They keep the fridges open 24/7 to ensure that people can come and stop by when it is convenient for them. Additionally, a lack of restrictions encourages people to give and take where they can.
“It’s just about assessing about what you have that you can share, and also taking what you need when you need something,” said Cantar.
“It’s just about assessing about what you have that you can share, and also taking what you need when you need something."
Jacqueline Cantar, co-founder of community fridges hamont
The initial community fridge in Hamilton was inspired by Community Fridges Toronto which began in summer 2020. The Community Fridges HamOnt team started with a simple group chat, comprised of strangers who wanted to make a change. Together, with lots of planning, they opened their first community fridge in Hamilton.
Social media was also vital in making their vision a reality.
“We started as a group chat of people who didn’t necessarily know each other but wanted to organize and at least launch the first community fridge which then pretty quickly turned into three locations—just by utilizing group chats and social media,” said Cantar.
To maintain the fridges, several factors are involved. Namely, the fridges all follow and keep up-to-date with the public health guidelines. Their volunteers also visit locations one to three times a day to ensure the fridges are filled with food that is safe to eat and can be stored for longer periods of time.
“We as an organization work together to create donation guidelines that’s in reference to public health guidelines as well. All of our community fridges are public health certified. We have a huge volunteer team that’s really committed to keeping things clean and safe,” said Cantar.
Fridges like these are very important for the ever-present issue that is food insecurity. In 2021 the Hamilton Food Share found a regular visit to a foodbank usually means getting food that could support them three to five days, however, 61% of people go to a food bank only once a month usually not getting enough for the periods in between.
Cantar speaks to how the community fridges are not the solution to food insecurity, just a step in the right direction. Although the community fridge can help someone at a particular moment, there are other ways to support people experiencing food insecurity so they don’t have to rely on community fridges. Issues like minimum wage and affordable housing also have an effect on someone's ability to get food.
“Community fridges are a really good example of the ways of people can come together and take care of each other. But we do need our government to make changes that can actually provide concrete solutions to the problems that are continuing to get worse for people that are in need,” said Cantar.
“Community fridges are a really good example of the ways of people can come together and take care of each other. But we do need our government to make changes that can actually provide concrete solutions to the problems that are continuing to get worse for people that are in need."
Jacqueline Cantar, co-founder of community fridges hamont
Community Fridges HamOnt provides Hamiltonians with a safe way to collect and donate food and support the local community. It sets a path for sustainable food sharing and contributes to the fight for tackling food insecurity. Nonetheless, it is still important to remember this is not a solution and bigger changes at the policy and government levels need to be made.
C/O Ainsley Thurgood
McMaster Aiding Women’s Shelters Canada sets up gift card drive for the holidays
CW: domestic violence
Domestic violence, also referred to as intimate partner violence, is an ongoing issue that has seen increasing numbers in Hamilton over the last several years.
In 2019, Hamilton police responded to 7,090 calls regarding domestic violence and laid 1,657 charges.
Domestic violence refers to situations of power and control that an individual has over their intimate partner. This can lead to abuse in many different forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people in abusive relationships face an increased risk of being trapped in the same home as their abusers.
At McMaster University, the McMaster Aiding Women’s Shelters Canada is a McMaster Students Union club that works to address domestic violence. MAWSC’s goals include spreading awareness within the McMaster community around domestic violence, raising money for women’s shelters in the Hamilton area and creating a safe space for people to discuss domestic violence and sexual assault.
According to Sarah Coker, one of MAWSC’s co-presidents, MAWSC holds a variety of fundraisers, workshops and events throughout the year in order to achieve these aims.
For the holiday season this year, MAWSC is holding a gift card drive for the Eagle’s Nest Association of Waterdown. The Eagle’s Nest Association, located only a few minutes outside of Hamilton, is a community organization that helps women and families.
The Eagle’s Nest Association owns the HOPE Centre, which offers a variety of services, such as positive parenting programs, programs that help children understand emotions and counselling for people of all ages.
According to Coker, the Eagle’s Nest Association holiday gift card drive goes towards providing holiday experiences to the people who access their services. The Eagle’s Nest Association recommends that donors buy specific types of gift cards for people who access different services at the HOPE Centre.
For those accessing counselling, the Eagle’s Nest Association recommends a Canadian Tire or Esso gift card to help them get to their counselling sessions.
For those accessing coaching, the Eagle’s Nest Association recommends a Starbucks or Tim Hortons gift card.
For those in a support group, the Eagle’s Nest Association recommends an Indigo or Amazon gift card.
For children and youth, the Eagle’s Nest Association recommends a restaurant or Walmart gift card as these gift cards create opportunities for children to have fun experiences with their families.
“They're asking for gift cards so that they can give something back, so that these people on Christmas don't have to leave without anything,”
Sarah Coker
Coker reflected on the importance of supporting women’s shelters in the holiday season.
“It's a way to give back to the community and [for] a lot of people who may be less fortunate than you, [you can] give them that chance to experience what you might consider a norm in your life — to go home for the holidays and get a gift,” said Coker.
In Hamilton, women’s shelters such as the Martha House, Inasmuch House and the Native Women’s Centre offer emergency shelter for women and their children fleeing from an abusive situation. All three shelters are accepting monetary donations on their website.
In addition, Native Women’s Centre is accepting in-kind donations including various hygiene products and household items.
Although they are not providing emergency shelter, YWCA Hamilton is another organization that works to find housing solutions for women and their families. YWCA Hamilton is also accepting donations including various clothing items, transportation cards, hygiene products, toys and games.
By: Areej Ali
This past November marked the launch of “Tax-Free Tuesdays,” an initiative proposed by McMaster Students Union president Ikram Farah during the 2018 presidential election.
The pilot project, created in collaboration with McMaster Hospitality Services, entailed offering students a 13 per cent discount at La Piazza during the month of November.
Farah initially created the initiative in effort to promote food affordability on campus.
“Food insecurity is real. The MSU invests in the operations of the MSU Food Collective Centre to offer immediate food support to students,” said Farah in a Silhouette article about the project from November.
With the winter semester coming to an end, McMaster Hospitality Services director Chris Roberts has confirmed that “Tax-Free Tuesdays” project will not continue in the future.
The aim was to have increased traffic flow in La Piazza, which would offset the financial losses resulting from giving students the discount.
According to Roberts, La Piazza did not see increased traffic in November.
“The data clearly showed that our transactions on the Tax-Free Tuesdays were no different than previous Tuesdays ,which resulted in a significant loss in revenue over the course of the pilot,” said Roberts. “This indicates that students continued their usual habits regardless of the discount.”
He cites Union Market’s elimination of their boxed water, suggesting that McMaster Hospitality Services must continue to operate in a financially responsible manner.
As such, the “Tax-Free Tuesdays” project will likely not resurface next year.
When asked for her comment on McMaster Hospitality Services’ decision, Farah did not provide a response to The Silhouette.
There is a lack of clarity with respect to McMaster students’ feedback from the project, including whether or not they believe there was sufficient advertising from the MSU.
Farah and the MSU have also yet to publicly respond to Roberts’ comments and McMaster Hospitality Services’ decision.
“I believe there are other initiatives that we could look at that serve the needs of students who are financially challenged that will not affect our financials in a negative way,” said Roberts.
An example of one such initiative is Bridges Cafe’s new “Cards For Humanity” program, a pay it forward initiative through which students donate to other students.
According to Roberts, students can expect to see various food accessibility initiatives emerge, but “Tax-Free Tuesdays” will no longer be one of them.
By: Alon Coret
You may have recently heard about the urgent call for blood donations made by Canadian Blood Services (CBS). Well, just so you know, it’s not only blood donations per se that are required by CBS – they are also hoping to add potential matches to their bone marrow and stem cell network. This sub-group within CBS is appropriately known as “One Match,” and it seeks to establish a worldwide database – in partnership with over fifty other national networks – in hopes of increasing the number of potential matches for life-saving stem cell donations and bone marrow transplants.
Just as with blood donations, it is often not a lack of willingness to donate that stops people from signing up; rather, it’s the burden involved in actually making the time for it. And I get it – we are all busy university students. So, to save you the time…the signup has already been arranged for you!
On Oct. 28 (10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.), an event known as “Get Swabbed” will take place in the MUSC Marketplace. Volunteers from both McMaster and CBS will help sign up interested students, and provide further information about eligibility requirements and the overall process of donations. All that’s needed from you is: (1) informed consent to participate (yes, you will be provided with all necessary information), and (2) a quick, five-minute swab to collect cheek tissue samples. Your information would then be recorded in the One Match database. If a patient is found to be compatible with you, One Match will call you up to see whether you would be interested in making a donation (at which point, by the way, you are NOT obligated to proceed should you wish to withdraw consent).
Who is needed? Anyone and everyone could be a match, but 17-35-year-old males are especially needed. Moreover, if you belong to an ethnic minority, there is a good chance One Match is underrepresented by your demographic (and possibly unique genetic markers). Therefore, you are extra encouraged to register in the database.
Why the need for such a large database? Stem cell transplants require a high genetic profile match between donor and recipient, specifically the compatibility of 12 genetic markers known as human leukocyte antigens, or HLA. As a result, one would expect high suitability among family members. Nonetheless, fewer than 30 percent of patients who need stem cell transplants find a compatible donor within their own family, and thus rely on donations from others.
Who needs stem cell transplants? A variety of diseases and disorders are treated with stem cell transplants, including blood-related diseases such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, and inherited immune system and metabolic disorders (e.g. Tay Sachs disease). These conditions are often fatal, and so early detection, successful treatments, and a compatible stem cell or bone marrow transplant are crucial to save the patient’s life.
What’s the actual “donation” procedure like? Stem cell transplant procedures tend to have the reputation of being painful, dangerous, or overly complicated. This is not quite so. Today there are two common methods in use, both involving very minimal risk to the donor.
The first is called “Stimulated peripheral blood stem cell donation,” a non-surgical procedure involving the collection of stem cells over a period of four to five days. Yes, it involves needles (but only a couple). And yes, there are some short-term side effects, including nausea, muscle pain, and redness at the site of injection.
Another method in use is a bone marrow stem cell donation, which is a surgical procedure performed under anesthetics. Special, hollow needles are used to withdraw liquid marrow (~ 1 liter) from the back of the donor’s pelvic bones. This procedure typically lasts about an hour. Although it sounds like a lot to give, both the blood and stem cells from the marrow are naturally replenished within six weeks.
The key take-home messages regarding these procedures are: (1) they are very safe for the donor; and (2) by virtue of being a match, you are by no means obligated to donate and can withdraw from One Match at any time. By registering, however, you put yourself in a sort of lottery where you have the chance to give somebody the best prize of all: their health, their smile, and their life.
I hope to see you there as part of this important initiative!
For more information please visit:
Farzeen Foda
& Sam Cumerlato
Senior News Editor & Silhouette Intern
The past 20 to 25 years in advertising history have seen some of the most popular trademark slogans. Many such popular advertisements of the past few decades originated in Canada through the work of Pirate Toronto, who donated an archive of over 50,000 radio and television advertisements to McMaster University’s Libraries.
The donated collection is “the single largest archive that we’ve recieved yet,” said Wade Wyckoff, Associate University Librarian for Collections. The archive consists of over 700 boxes and includes material from iconic brands such as Coca Cola and Pepsi, as well as preperatory materials from commercials like Becel’s “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter,” series. It also features celebrities such as Leslie Nelson, Bob Newhart, Ellen DeGeneres, John Cleese and Jay-Z.
The collection contains some “behind the scenes work,” of famous advertisements, said Wyckoff.
“The biggest reason we wanted to donate it, was that we wanted it to be used as a teaching tool and be preserved,” said Pirate Toronto co-founder Terry O’Reilly, who explained that he and his colleagues wanted to put their work toward the betterment of the next advertising generation.
“I would have killed to have something like this available when I was in university,” said O’Reilly.
Pirate Toronto was founded in 1990 and has since, undertaken numerous “milestone projects,” said O’Reilly, such as the first cell phone commercials in the late 80s as well as election campaigns and some of the first commercials that began addressing the AIDS epidemic which was silenced for sometime before public awareness on this issue surfaced in the mainstream media, he explained.
The donation of the archive to McMaster was put in place in 2011, after which, the University’s libraries have been working on organizing the archive for use by students and faculty. The collection is now ready for use, and is located on the lower level of Mills Library in the Division of Archives and Research Collections, explained Wyckoff. The first installment of the donation consisted of 50,000 radio and television commercials, followed by an additional 25,000, noted O’Reilly. The collection contains television and radio advertisements from 1990 to 2007, but also includes some of O’Reilly’s earlier work dating as early as 1982.
The archive has been received with enthusiasm from McMaster faculty looking to integrate the resource into course work.
“This is exactly the kind of thing we need to be doing in our department,” said Communication Studies and Multimedia professor, Philip Savage. “It’s a lovely sort of communications crossover resource,” he said.
While housing the enormous database of advertising history, McMaster students now have access to final commercials from the pivotal time period, as well as all of the component parts that comprise a final television or radio advertisement, including but not limited to original and edited scripts, auditions as well as all files and correspondence between those involved in the development of each commercial.
Upon his decision to donate the company’s historical collection, O’Reilly contacted numerous universities across the country. He was met with immense enthusiasm, but had three criteria for the donation: the university would have to express a strong desire for the collection, provide an explanation of how the archive would be used and a large enough space to house the collection. McMaster was able to demonstrate fulfillment of all three criteria.
“McMaster had a deep desire for the archive,” said O’Reilly, explaining that the University was clear in their goals to put these archives toward studies in Business, Psychology, Communication Studies and Multimedia, as well as English, among others.
The collection will allow students in a range of faculties and disciplines to “follow the development of commercials… and study how media and advertising has evolved,” said Wyckoff.
A next step for the archive is the digitalizing of the donation through an online project on behalf of The Canadian Advertising Museum, to build a web-based archive of the Canadian advertising industry.
“We wanted to preserve the works, rather than allow it to be lost in the sands of time,” said O’Reilly.
A formal reception was held at McMaster’s Ron Joyce Centre on Feb. 15, to celebrate the inauguration of the collection, where O’Reilly and his fellow colleagues discussed their thrilling experience creating what would become one of the greatest masterpieces in Canadian media history.
Farzeen Foda
Senior News Editor
On Feb. 6, McMaster University welcomed a $30-million gift on behalf of the Marta and Owen Boris Foundation in support of stem cell research and better access to specialty health care.
Owen Boris was the founder of Mountain Cablevision, one of the few cable suppliers to the Hamilton Mountain area. With a firm belief in the betterment of the healthcare system, The Boris Family took it upon themselves to fuel some of the change that could revolutionize healthcare in Hamilton, shedding new light on healthcare standards across Canada.
The potential of stem cell research, a burgeoning area of biological science, was of considerable interest to Boris, and upon discussions with McMaster University, was confident that an investment in McMaster’s reputable Stem Cell Research Institute could bring healthcare one step closer to the change in healthcare he envisioned.
$24 million of the donation will go toward the establishment of the Boris Family Centre in Human Stem Cell Therapies, in conjunction with McMaster’s Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute.
The new centre will strive to translate the breakthrough research of the Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute into improved patient outcomes for debilitating diseases such as “leukemia and Parkinson’s disease, to name but a few,” said Jackie Work, daughter of Owen and Marta Boris.
Work, along with her brother Les Boris, announced the gift to an awestruck assembly of prominent members of the McMaster community.
The remaining six million dollars of the generous gift will support a “One Stop Shop specialty clinic,” to be located on the fourth floor of the McMaster University Medical Centre, comparable to the Mayo Clinic in the United States, noted Work.
The clinic “will bring together, in one place, a wide range of medical and healthcare professionals, reducing or eliminating wait times for specialty appointments and tests such as MRI’s and provide coordinated and managed care for patients with complex medical issues,” she said.
Some of the funds will also support the establishment of two senior chairs. One in blood stem cells and the other in neural stem cells, as well as fellowships and technician positions.
Access to specialist attention is heavily hindered by long wait times, often prolonging life-saving treatment, an experience to which the Boris Family can certainly attest, “both of our parents had some vexing health issues and found themselves frustrated with the medical system,” said Work during her captivating speech.
She further explained, “that experience drove them, Dad in particular, to find a way to implement a more efficient and faster way to manage patient care,” referring to Boris’ desire to effect change in healthcare.
On April 9, 2011, soon after discussions were underway between Boris and the University, Owen Boris passed away suddenly, leaving in his memory a philanthropic legacy that his family resolved to maintain in his honour.
The family impact of inadequate healthcare does not stop at Marta and Owen Boris. Their youngest son, Peter, passed away at the age of 43 after years of battling an alcohol addiction.
Soon after the passing of their younger brother and father, Jackie Work and Les Boris worked to continue the discussions around their father’s vision through the Marta and Owen Boris Foundation.
Driven by the loss of their brother, the Marta and Owen Boris Foundation donated six million dollars to St. Joseph’s Hospital to fund addiction research in May 2011. Later that year, in December, they donated five million dollars in support of an advanced surgical robot.
Upon outlining the challenges currently facing access to healthcare, Work explained the motivation behind the gift, in line with her father’s vision. “It is our hope that this will become the new model and standard for patient care, not only in Hamilton but across the country,” said Work.
Those in attendance at the event held in the Jan and Mien Heersink Reading Pavillion in McMaster’s Health Sciences Library included other prominent philanthropists that have made their mark on McMaster University through their outstanding donations, such as Senator David Braley, and Michael G. DeGroote.
Braley, who donated $50 million to McMaster’s medical school shared insightful words of a true businessman, explaining that he does not simply donate, but makes investments, a sentiment shared by the Boris Family as the decision to contribute to McMaster came as an acknowledgement of the immense potential resting within the University.
