A Better Day Tomorrow: What started as a university club grows into something more
Alexis Konopny shares her experience in starting a club while discussing her aim to address homelessness in Toronto.
As Canada continues to confront its ongoing homelessness crisis, a determined graduate student is taking the initiative to make a difference.
Alexis Konopny—a graduate student at the University of Toronto’s (U of T) St. George campus and an alumna from the Mississauga campus (UTM)—has always been involved in volunteering and charity.
Currently, Konopny is pursuing a master’s degree at U of T’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and aspires to become a physician while researching to improve the quality of life in vulnerable communities, including those experiencing homelessness.
Her passion for helping the community propelled her to found A Better Day Tomorrow (ABDT) in 2021.
In an interview with The Medium, Konopny shares her experience starting the club, how it’s grown, and her advice for undergraduate students.
ABDT is a club at UTM that aims to raise awareness about homelessness in Canada while supporting disadvantaged and marginalized communities. The club stemmed from Konopny’s research into topics such as mental health, homelessness and food insecurity. Konopny was inspired to create a club that brought awareness to these issues while finding a way to help people affected by them.
“At the start, we only had three executives, and we had to fill multiple positions at once,” Konopny shared. However, as the club started gaining public attention, it garnered more public support. The group of three executives grew to ten, along with general members from all three campuses.
Konopny and the club have raised money for homeless people in Toronto, which they would use to distribute items to homeless individuals and shelters, such as hygiene and menstrual products. Currently, in response to the shelter’s demands, the club is focusing on making hygiene care kits for men.
The club has also introduced some programs to help the community. Currently, ABDT is hosting mentorship and leadership activities for youth living in low-income communities while working to destigmatize homelessness.
General members and volunteers of the club will be invited to view mentor eligibility for the programs as well as any students who may be interested. “We are thinking of recruiting 20 to 30 students depending on interest, and tutoring and mentorship would cover grades six to 12,” stated Konopny. “Students from the [Peel] Youth Village that houses youth experiencing homelessness will be paired with another student from ABDT, with the intended goal of receiving mentorship and guidance and a space where they can go to meet other students, mentor, tutor and lead.”
Currently, ABDT is working to obtain an official non-profit status from the Ontario government so it can evolve from a university club to a recognized group. However, obtaining the certification may take some time as the club will be required to recruit a board of directors, develop a marketing team, and write a constitution.
For students interested in starting a club, Konopny shared some advice. She recommends finding a solid executive team you can trust. Her time at UTM inspired her to find other people who also shared a goal of supporting homeless communities.
Konopny stated it is important to create a plan and ask yourself: what is the purpose of the club, and who do you want to pass it on to after you leave? She also suggested asking other clubs about their experience and doing your research.
“Don’t overdo it with the number of executives,” Konopny said. “Try to have two in each position—having another partner to work with is extremely helpful!”
As for undergraduate students, Konopny advises them to step out of their comfort zone. “Find what interests you and do what you have a passion for. Find yourself doing passion projects. They might not be paid, but you will feel like you impacted the community.”
Lastly, Konopny encourages students to get involved in as many things as possible during their time at university, stating, “Be bold and network!”
