By the end of the night, Milica Petkovic couldn’t feel her fingers.

Petkovic was one of three Brock University United Way committee members who spent the evening Monday, Nov. 20 writing messages in chalk on Brock’s sidewalks in an effort to drum up support. Without a hat, scarf or gloves to keep her warm, the wind and brisk weather felt much colder than the 7 degree forecast.

“My fingers were so cold. After an hour or so, I had to take a break and stepped inside to warm up,” Petkovic said. “But then I thought about why I was out there. There are people who are far worse off than I am — people who need help meeting basic human needs like food, employment and shelter from the elements. That’s where United Way comes in.”

Milica Petkovic was one of three Brock University United Way committee members who spent Monday evening writing messages in chalk on Brock’s sidewalks.

It was hard to miss the messages written in colourful chalk as Brock faculty and staff members walked to their offices Tuesday morning. Written across campus sidewalks were notes explaining how donations to United Way would impact individuals in need.

With about two weeks left in Brock’s United Way campaign, committee members hoped the chalk initiative offered a reminder to donate to the cause.

While the University has secured 93 per cent of its goal, more than $10,000 is needed to hit the $145,000 fundraising target.

It’s an achievable goal — with the Brock community’s help.

“It truly takes a village to reach a goal this big,” said Sandy Howe, Brock’s United Way committee staff co-chair. “As we creep towards it, it’s important to emphasize that every dollar makes a difference in our community. With United Way’s matching programs, donations can double or even triple.”

New donations to United Way, for example, are matched dollar for dollar.

That matching program meant the $13,008 contributed by 47 new Brock donors so far this year doubled into $26,016 new donations for United Way. Two other matching programs added $8,200 to this total.

United Way depends on the contributions of workplace campaigns like Brock’s to enact positive change for those in need.

“More than half of the total funds we raise every year come from individuals giving in the workplace,” said Kevin Jong, Director of Resource Development for United Way of St. Catharines and District. “The Brock University employee campaign has consistently been among our top three campaigns for many years.”

This year’s involvement from Brock faculty and staff hasn’t gone unnoticed by the committee, who are appreciative of both the generous contributions given and the volunteer hours invested to help support the campaign.

“It’s been great to see the level of involvement and participation of faculty members and staff in the campaign,” said Lucie Thibault, Brock’s United Way committee faculty co-chair. “No gift is too small to have an impact.”

United Way invests in more than 70 programs and initiatives that are improving the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the community. Its programs help move people out of poverty, encourage youth to reach their full potential and build strong communities.

To learn more about Brock’s United Way campaign, visit the United Way Campaign SharePoint site. Event photos, statistics and regular updates can be found on the University’s United Way Facebook page.

To donate, return pledge forms to Human Resources or donate online.

Fundraising report

Goal: $145,000

The totals from Brock’s United Way initiatives, as of Nov. 21, are as follows:

Employee contributions: $128,226.62 from 217 employees

Event proceeds:

• Souper Star Lunch: $931
• Volleyball game: $660
• Halloween Spin-A-Thon: $505
• Trivia Night: $4,155.57
• Brock Card raffle: $375

Total raised: $134,853.19 (93 per cent of goal)

Chalk messages written across Brock’s sidewalk tiles highlighted United Way’s impact as people walked through campus Tuesday morning.