U of W foundation takes holiday-card delivery matters into its own hands

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This article was published 19/12/2024 (317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Javier Schwersensky will always go the extra mile to show University of Winnipeg Foundation donors just how much they are appreciated.

So when the UWF’s president and CEO realized he could not count on Canada Post to deliver hundreds of holiday greeting cards on time because of a nationwide strike, he called on U of W students, staff and even his own family members to personally deliver them to donors in Winnipeg.

“I recruited my dad,” he said.

And although Canada Post is operating again as of this week following a back-to-work order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the backlog from a month of undelivered mail and parcels isn’t expected to be cleared up until early in the new year.

It is tradition for the UWF to send its thanks to donors before the winter break, so the decision to hand-deliver the cards this year reflects the important role donors play in supporting U of W students, the campus and the downtown community, Schwersensky said.

Donors make it possible to transform the lives of youth in Winnipeg through education, and the benefits reverberate throughout the province, he added.

Donors in Toronto will also receive their holiday greetings on time, thanks to Good Foot Delivery, a registered charity providing employment opportunities to the neurodivergent community.

Schwersensky, who often travels to Toronto for meetings, saw an advertisement for Good Foot Delivery on the subway and kept the work they do in the back of his mind. When he realized the challenge the foundation was facing to deliver the cards, he contacted the service.

“They were delighted to partner with the foundation, and away we went,” he said.

Because he knows so many of donors personally, Schwersensky not only signs each card, he tries to include a personal note when he can so the recipient knows they’re not just getting a generic message.

This year, he signed approximately 400 cards. And, although his hand is sore, he said that creating a personal acknowledgement isn’t a chore.

“I do it with great pleasure. It’s a fun thing to do,” he said.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca