GRIT Week at McMaster: A Valuable Experience for Oakville Meals on Wheels
This semester, Oakville Meals on Wheels was pleased to participate in GRIT Week at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business. GRIT Week is inspiring initiative that brings together students and community organizations to tackle real-world challenges through collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
The experience gave us the opportunity to share our mission with a passionate group of students while gaining valuable insights that will help strengthen our organization as we prepare for the future.
What is GRIT Week?
GRIT Week is an experiential learning program hosted by the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. Throughout the week, student teams partner with local organizations to better understand their work, identify opportunities, and develop creative solutions to real community challenges.
The program encourages students to step outside the classroom and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways while building lasting relationships with community organizations across the region.
Our GRIT Week Experience
From the very beginning, our student team brought enthusiasm, curiosity, and a genuine desire to learn about Oakville Meals on Wheels.
They took their learning a step further by visiting Mo’s Family Restaurant, where our hot meals are prepared each day. There, they met with our volunteers before joining one of our meal delivery routes, experiencing firsthand the meaningful interactions that take place between volunteers and clients. They saw how every delivery provides not only a nutritious meal, but also an informal wellness check and an opportunity for social connection.
The students also spent time at our office meeting with staff, asking thoughtful questions, and learning about our programs, daily operations, volunteers, and the impact we have on the Oakville community. Their curiosity and attention to detail allowed them to truly understand who we are and the people we serve.
Bringing Our Story to Life
At the end of the week, the students created and presented a video that beautifully captured the mission, values, and impact of Oakville Meals on Wheels.
Their presentation earned Second Place during the final GRIT Week showcase, resulting in a $2,000 award for Oakville Meals on Wheels.
What made the experience even more meaningful was the students’ personal commitment to our mission. In addition to earning the prize for our organization, they also made their own donation in support of Oakville Meals on Wheels, a thoughtful gesture that demonstrated just how much our cause resonated with them.
