Celebrate a tradition of giving
Every year, on the last Wednesday of January (January 29 this year), the MSVU community celebrates Caritas Day. Caritas is Latin for “charity” and Caritas Day is a day set aside for charitable acts by the MSVU community – from random acts of kindness, to giving gifts of time, talent and other resources.
The fire of 1951
The history behind the day dates back to a devastating fire that destroyed the entire MSVU campus (just one building at the time!) in January 1951. The fire left students with nowhere to continue their education, but thankfully the residents and businesses of Halifax opened their hearts and doors to provide the students with spaces to learn.
It was this compassion and generosity that led to the creation of Caritas Day and, every year, faculty, staff and students alike are encouraged to give back to the community to help make a difference and pay forward the kindness that was shown to MSVU.
Celebrating the spirit of Caritas Day can mean volunteering at a local charity, or something as simple as making a phone call to brighten a friend’s day or paying for a stranger’s coffee. In past years, students, faculty, and staff have helped knit toques for Syrian refugees, held food drives, and collaborated with charities like Phoenix House and Shelter Nova Scotia.
And Caritas Day doesn’t have to stop when you leave MSVU – some of our alumni continue to mark the day each year, one year reaching as far away as Calgary, Alberta. MSVU alumni truly are a special group.
There are endless ways to give back this #CaritasDay2020, what will you do?
Use the hashtag #CaritasDay2020 on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and let everyone know what you’re doing to help make the world a bit better.