Herman Miller has brought joy to more than 2,000 parents and children at the annual WE CARE holiday party held at University Settlement over the past nine years. It has always been a truly “Special” event but never more so than during this most extraordinary and challenging of years.

Every year, until the pandemic, over 200 school-age children let their creativity shine making holiday gifts for family, teachers, and friends at a variety of craft stations with volunteers from some of the leading design firms in Toronto. There was pizza, treats and special festivities throughout the event. The kids loved it, and, so did all the adults involved.

Organizing WE CARE is a big undertaking at the best of times. Although the pandemic added a new layer of complexity, the staff at Herman Miller and the design firms were undaunted. They designed and assembled 160 beautiful holiday-themed craft kits for children to make at home over the holidays that included all the materials and instructions plus a few extra goodies to celebrate the season. It was a tremendous effort, topped off with a carefully orchestrated curbside pick-up that followed all the COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

WE CARE is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when everyone works together, especially this year. You would be hard pressed to find a holiday season event that better exemplifies the spirit of giving.

We’re looking forward to welcoming Herman Miller back to University Settlement next year for the 10th WE CARE event, when hopefully, we can be together again. What a party that will be!

Our heartfelt thanks for making the holiday season brighter for 160 families this year to: Herman Miller, Workplace Resource, B+H, Dialog, Figure3, Gensler, Perkins + Will, SGH, and Shopify. Thank you!