The Brock community is invited to enjoy a pasta dinner from Club Roma next month in support of the University’s United Way campaign.

Organized by Brock’s United Way Committee, pre-purchased ‘take away’ dinners will be available to pick up on Friday, Dec. 10, with a portion of the proceeds going to support this year’s campaign.

An individual meal costs $15, while a meal for four costs $50. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.

“This fundraising dinner is a safe — and delicious — way to build awareness about the United Way and raise funds to support programs right here in our own communities,” said Allison Flynn-Bowman, Research Awards and Scholarships Specialist in Graduate Studies, and member of the United Way Events Committee. “This pasta dinner allows us to enjoy a good meal while also giving back to those who need it most.”

An estimated 60,000 people in Niagara do not have access to healthy food and the region’s food banks have reported an increase in demand of 30 per cent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has also amplified other challenges people in Niagara were already experiencing, such as poverty, homelessness, isolation, domestic and gender-based violence, mental illness and disadvantaged youth.

Pasta dinners will be available to pick up at Club Roma, 125 Vansickle Rd. in St. Catharines on Friday, Dec. 10. Customers can remain in their vehicle for drive-thru service. Orders open on Thursday, Nov. 25 and can be placed on Brock University Tickets. The deadline for submitting a dinner order is Friday, Dec. 3.

To complete an order, participants will be asked to provide their name, preferred contact method (phone or email), and to select a meal option and time slot. Pickup times are available in 30-minute windows, beginning at 4 p.m. and ending at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10. To allow for social distancing, there is a maximum capacity per pickup slot.

The meal options are as follows:

• Dinner for 1: Penne marinara with meatballs and sausage and a house salad, or gluten-free penne marinara (vegetarian) with grilled vegetables
• Dinner for 4: Penne marinara with meatballs and sausage and a house salad, or gluten-free penne marinara (vegetarian) with grilled vegetables

United Way Niagara funds 242 local programs, collaboratives and special initiatives across the region, and about 50 per cent of funds raised for these programs come from employee payroll contribution campaigns like Brock’s.

More information on how to give can be found on the campaign’s SharePoint page.