Humber Support Staff Union donates $10,000 in support of COVID-19 SOS Fund

Humber College is grateful to OPSEU Local 563 for their recent $10,000 donation to the COVID-19 Support Our Students (SOS) Fund. This gift will help students most affected by the pandemic to cover the cost of tuition, lost wages, living expenses and more. Moreover, it demonstrates Local 563’s commitment to Humber students at every stage of their academic journey.

OPSEU Local 563 has a proud history of supporting initiatives and events that showcase staff and student engagement. Support staff are at the frontline of campus operations, working closely with students from recruitment right up to their graduation. Its members deeply understand the struggles that students face, both financially and in their everyday lives. This unprecedented time has affected Humber students greatly, and Local 563 felt it was important to support them by contributing to the SOS Fund.

“Every interaction with a Humber student inspires support staff. Our students are Humber, and everything we do has a direct impact on student success,” says Fredy Mejia, president of Local 563. “The challenges students face and the successes they celebrate, and our ability to help them achieve their goals despite their adversities motivates us to support students every step of the way. Not every hero wears a cape, but our support staff are definitely heroes.”

The union represents full and part-time support staff across both campuses, as well as the University of Guelph-Humber and five Community Employment Centres located across the Greater Toronto Area. The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted its’ members lives as well – a majority of them are meeting the challenges of isolation, homeschooling, working from home and providing child and elder care, all while remaining positive and supportive. Through these personal challenges, support staff are committed to making student success a priority, even as they themselves practice resiliency and commitment to supporting the College’s operations.

During these difficult and uncertain times, Local 563 members are there not only for each other, but for Humber students, faculty, administration and the community at large.