Graphic by Julieanne and Thomas Oldreive

Club’s Corner: How The Mustard Seed U of C empowers students through leadership and service

By Reyam Jamaleddine, January 20 2025—

For many students at the University of Calgary (U of C), the rising cost of living is a burdening challenge. Juggling between tuition increases and the looming costs of housing, while balancing a budget can be overwhelming while pursuing a demanding degree. Facing these challenges can lead students to feel lonely, stressed and lost. Within the student community, there is a hub of opportunities that can alleviate the pressures of loneliness while also fostering personal and professional growth. 

Whether it’s joining clubs, or taking advantage of on-campus resources, students can find ways to save money, contribute to an overarching problem and gain valuable skill sets. Opportunities that foster growth and community can eliminate feelings of hopelessness in students. Such opportunities include volunteering, which assists in improving physical and mental health as well as providing a sense of purpose. 

One example of an opportunity-driven volunteering resource on campus is the Mustard Seed U of C, a student-led initiative that incentivizes student leadership and community engagement. Through on-campus and off-campus initiatives, this club creates opportunities for students to make a difference. 

“As a club, we aim to aid the Mustard Seed organization, which is mainly based in Alberta. It is an organization aimed at reducing poverty and homelessness in our cities. So they provide emergency support through housing, food, shelter and we as a club fundraise and volunteer for them,” said Cecilia Chen, President of the Mustard Seed U of C, in an interview with the Gauntlet.  

“It’s also about bringing the campus together and a community that everybody can

enjoy,” added Cassidy Kreutzer, Vice President of the Mustard Seed U of C. 

Through meal prepping, sorting donations and serving meals to those who are in need, the club ensures that students who are seeking tangible hands-on volunteer experience have ample opportunities and resources to engage in meaningful experiences off-campus as on-campus volunteering opportunities are mainly fundraising-focused. From organizing bake sales to on-campus photo booths, those who are unable to or prefer to remain on campus have a variety of volunteering opportunities available. 

“Most of our success stories come from our fundraising efforts. We do bake sales, raffles and things like that to raise money to give directly to the Mustard Seed. The Mustard Seed itself has an Instagram and it’s always nice to see how they run their events and how our money has helped them to run these events,” said Kreutzer.

Although the majority of the events that take place on campus are focused on fundraising, the club is implementing a new variety of on-campus volunteering opportunities for students. 

“We’re starting to do on-campus volunteering events alongside our fundraising events. So instead of just being at a table for a sale of some kind, we’re also trying to have more hands-on events where we’re trying to make the candy grams that we sell, or we also try to collaborate with other clubs, we just collaborated with a club to make essential item bags to give out, to donate to the Mustard Seed so they can give them out,” said Kreutzer.

These opportunities and experiences go far beyond academic achievements, as they encourage empathy and a sense of social responsibility which can extend far beyond a student’s university years. 

Volunteering experience for this club isn’t fixed, as students are presented with the opportunity to develop their skillsets, network with peers and maintain lasting connections as well as grow into leadership roles. 

“Members that start as general members and are passionate about the Mustard Seed Club and what we do, apply to become executives. It really shows initiative and it shows leadership,” explained Kreutzer.

Through a variety of volunteer opportunities, this club ties together a community of students who share the values of helping people as well as fostering their individual growth. Although the main mission is to assist the city’s Mustard Seed organization and be a valuable member of the overall community, this club also ensures that student volunteers who join and contribute strengthen their skills and have rewarding experiences. 

“It’s just an amazing way to get to know more people and to make more friends that have the same kind of passions and ideals as you and it’s also a great learning experience just to help on a team,” said Kreutzer.

The Mustard Seed on campus is just one of the many clubs that offer students volunteering experiences. There are many clubs and groups that provide students with the tools they need to thrive. In addition to creating and implementing experiences for the campus community, volunteering or working for initiatives that aim to support students facing challenges creates a student-led community of support. 

To learn more about the Mustard Seed U of C go to their Instagram page. To learn more about student opportunities and clubs on campus, go to the Students’ Union clubs list.  

This article is a part of our Voices section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.


Hiring | Staff | Advertising | Contact | PDF version | Archive | Volunteer | SU

The Gauntlet