Longtime Brock United Way campaign committee member Michelle Leone (BRLS ’05, MA ’08), Undergraduate Program Co-ordinator and Academic Advisor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, demonstrated how to donate using a United Way Niagara fundraising display in the Rankin Family Pavilion in the fall. Brock University’s 2023 United Way Campaign has wrapped up another successful year, raising almost 100 per cent of its $162,000 goal in support of local programs that break barriers created by poverty.
Together, Brock employees and retirees raised $157,150 for United Way Niagara, which funds more than 150 local programs and initiatives addressing poverty and interconnected issues such food insecurity, homelessness, mental health and well-being, addiction and social isolation.
“Every family in our community has felt the impact of the rising cost of living, but Brock employees have still made it a priority to support the vital work of United Way Niagara. Their generosity is inspiring,” said Colleen Whyte (BRLS ’97), Associate Professor with the Recreation and Leisure Department and Brock’s United Way Campaign Faculty Co-Chair.
The Brock community has raised more than $2.6 million for United Way Niagara since 2003. About half of the funds raised by the charity come from employee payroll contribution campaigns like Brock’s.
“We’re grateful for the longtime support of Brock University and its employees,” said United Way Niagara CEO Frances Hallworth. “People all across Niagara are feeling the financial burden of the rise in prices for everyday essentials like utilities and groceries. Those who are already living at or below the poverty line are feeling the pressure even more.”
Hallworth says the demand for services has never been higher, with as many as one in three people in Niagara using a program supported by United Way last year.
While the official employee fundraising campaign for this year is over, Brock’s committee continues to support United Way initiatives, including the upcoming Period Promise menstrual product drive. Members of the Brock community are invited to donate tampons, pads and menstrual cups at locations across campus from Wednesday, May 1 to Monday, May 13.
“There are so many ways we at Brock can give back to our neighbours here in Niagara, from donating money and essential items to giving our time by volunteering,” says Whyte. “It really doesn’t take much to make a big difference.”
Anyone interested in joining the Brock United Way campaign committee as a volunteer or serving as a department canvasser can contact Whyte at cwhyte@brocku.ca
To learn more about the campaign, visit the Brock United Way campaign SharePoint site.
