The help of Niagara Recycling has allowed Brock’s adaptive programming, which supports youths in the region with special needs, to thrive over the past two decades.

Brock’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (FAHS) recently celebrated the partnership, honouring Niagara Recycling for its ongoing commitment to the University.

Each year, FAHS highlights one long-standing community and research partner for their outstanding contributions, exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to experiential education and research within the Faculty.

As this year’s recipient, Niagara Recycling was honoured at the 2019 Community Partners Appreciation Reception held Tuesday, April 16 at the Meridian Community Centre in Pelham.

Niagara Recycling Board Chair Albert Murphy speaks to the crowd while accepting the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences long-standing community partner award on behalf of the organization.

“Some of our partners collaborate with us on research and others provide on-site training opportunities in their workplaces through internships and clinical placements,” says Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Dean Peter Tiidus. “Other partners facilitate learning through financial contributions and support that enable ongoing and significant growth within our Faculty. This is true of Niagara Recycling.”

In their capacity as a community partner, Niagara Recycling has been working with Brock University since 1997 and has donated almost $440,000 in financial commitments to disability programming in FAHS over the past 15 years.

The organization’s support contributes to Brock University’s Autism Spectrum Disorder Summer Movement Camp, Supporting Neurodiversity through Adaptive Programming (SNAP), Saturday SNAP and the Confident Healthy Active Role Models (CHARM) initiative, all which provide service learning opportunities to students across all Brock Faculties.

“With Niagara Recycling as a community partner, we’ve seen more than 250 students per year trained in inclusive and adaptive physical activity over the past 15 years. This makes SNAP the largest on-campus site for experiential education, and southern Ontario’s longest-running and largest service learning site,” says Kinesiology Professor Maureen Connolly. “Their support has been instrumental in facilitating these educational and research opportunities for our students.”

More than one-third of the funding provided by Niagara Recycling since 2003 has gone to the Autism Spectrum Disorder Summer Movement Camp to help subsidize camper participation by keeping costs low for parents.

“Due to the service learning model we use, there is no way these camps could have continued to function without the support of Niagara Recycling,” Connolly says.

Niagara Recycling Chief Executive Officer Norman Kraft (BA ’90) and Board Chair Albert Murphy (BSc ’75, MEd ’79) attended the reception to accept the award on behalf of the organization.

“We are pleased that through our financial support Brock University is able to offer meaningful, active leisure to the children and youth who enjoy these camps each summer and the programs offered throughout the academic year,” Kraft says. “Niagara Recycling continues to demonstrate a long-term commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities in the Niagara region.”