Meeting Passionate Students at Simon Fraser University

In September, we spent the day at the SFU Career and Volunteer Fair. We set up our booth the same way we had at Douglas College with merchandise, candy, colouring books, stickers, and our slideshow of photos from past events.

Our booth was located upstairs with other volunteer organizations, while the career fair portion downstairs drew more attention and foot traffic. Even though fewer people reached our area, the ones who did were thoughtful and sincere in their interest. We had around 50 conversations with students throughout the day and were able to recruit approximately 15 to 20 new volunteers. Our volunteer Mansi later joined us and was a big help in welcoming students and supporting conversations at the table.

SFU had a stamp card activity that encouraged students to visit at least eight booths to receive a small gift. This added an extra sense of exploration and brought more visitors to our space, leading to some meaningful introductions. We were also generously treated to a free lunch, which was a thoughtful gesture and very appreciated.

Despite being in a quieter part of the venue, we left SFU feeling positive. The students we spoke with showed genuine community values and a real willingness to get involved. We look forward to seeing some of these new volunteers join our upcoming opportunities and continue building relationships with the SFU community.