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Mar 06, 2021
Open Circle: a stabilizing force during COVID-19
by Sowmithree Ragothaman, student As a student, COVID-19 has been difficult to deal with. I think the best comparison I can make is when you listen to a song where ...
Mar 06, 2021
Offline while Online
by Hani Choksi, student Open Circle has always run retreats, where students gather for community-building activities without being distracted by social media or the outside world. However, this term’s retreat ...
Mar 06, 2021
The Threads that Join Us
by Rachel Wang, student We are living in an age where terms like “social distancing” and “lockdown” are no longer so foreign to us. Somehow, in the past year, these ...
Mar 06, 2021
Judgement-free Hospitality
by Liberty Liu, student Growing up in a big family, I was constantly surrounded with loud warm voices echoing within the walls. Despite being someone who kept to myself, it ...
Dec 15, 2020
Newsletter: December 2020
Around the world in 24 hours by Marybeth Leis Druery In the past day I’ve been to Egypt, Vancouver, China, and Ontario (all virtually, of course). As I “travelled” the ...
Dec 15, 2020
Community I can rely on
by Simi Jayeoba, student Open Circle’s programming and events have been huge for me in moments where I was in need of connection, support, and understanding. The space that is ...
Dec 15, 2020
Creating community around the world (Video)
by Vivian Li, student During this quarantine, when I was forced to establish a new routine consisting of mostly indoor activities, Open Circle helped me reflect on what I need ...
Dec 15, 2020
Like I’m part of a family
by Christy, student For many of us, this past summer may not have been the best experience due to the global pandemic. It just so happened that I had a ...
Dec 15, 2020
Art and letters to seniors
Some art and messages of hope by our Letters to Seniors weekly volunteer groups. Here is a comment by Stephanie Wickens, our agency contact for one of the long term ...
Nov 30, 2020
Help Students Navigate Change
Join our Navigating Change crowdfunding campaign and make a big difference during the current challenges and uncertainties! Since lockdown started in March, we’ve increased our supports for students and the ...