It was still dark as United Way committee members arrived Wednesday morning to set up a sweet surprise for the Brock community.<\/p>\n
As students, faculty and staff arrived on campus, they were greeted by teams of\u00a0volunteers outside the Plaza Building and Cairns Family Health and Bioscience Research Complex offering hot chocolate and Timbits.<\/p>\n
The Hot Chocolate for Hope\u00a0pop-up event aimed\u00a0to raise awareness about the importance of United Way Niagara as well as faculty and staff participation in the University’s United Way fundraising campaign.<\/p>\n
With temperatures hovering around freezing and light snow falling, many were grateful for a free cup of hot chocolate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNovember has been a bit dreary this year,\u201d said event co-organizer Jennifer Kopczinski, Curriculum Specialist with Brock\u2019s Centre for Pedagogical Innovation. \u201cWe\u00a0hope that\u00a0greeting our colleagues\u00a0with a cup of warm hot chocolate and a friendly smile\u00a0as they arrive on campus\u00a0will encourage them to pay it forward and contribute to Brock\u2019s United Way campaign. Even a small donation may bring a bit of hope to those who need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n By about 9 a.m., the 15 volunteers had handed out nearly 240 cups of hot chocolate and dozens of Timbits, all of which was donated by Catering Services.<\/p>\n One of the volunteers helping to share United Way\u2019s message of hope was Brian Hutchings, Vice-President, Administration.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my previous life, I was\u00a0Commissioner of Community Services\u00a0for Niagara Region, so I know all the services United Way provides that help people who need assistance in our community,\u201d\u00a0said Hutchings, who has also served as a United Way board member. \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we make people aware of United Way \u2014 it\u2019s an essential service.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 163,000 people in Niagara receive support through more than 100 programs and special initiatives funded by United Way Niagara each year. One in three people in the region will use a United Way-funded program in their lifetime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Faculty and staff\u00a0involvement with\u00a0the United Way campaign is\u00a0an important connection to the community for the University, said Greg\u00a0Finn, Interim Provost and Vice-President, Academic.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been donating\u00a0regularly to\u00a0United Way since I came to Brock in 1985,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Finn, who has served as faculty co-chair of the University\u2019s United Way\u00a0committee. He said giving back to the community is something he learned from his parents.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cStanding out in the cold like this\u00a0\u2014\u00a0there are people who do this all the time and they don\u2019t have a place to go home to that\u2019s warm,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The\u00a0Brock community has raised\u00a0more than $1.7 million for United Way\u00a0over the past 15 years.\u00a0While it’s a significant amount, it\u2019s important to remember every dollar makes a big difference. Just\u00a0$2.50 per week,\u00a0or $130 per year,\u00a0can provide counselling to\u00a010\u00a0people in need, while\u00a0$5 per week,\u00a0or $260\u00a0a\u00a0year,\u00a0can provide five children with\u00a0a one-on-one literacy program.<\/p>\n Faculty and staff can\u00a0donate to Brock’s United Way campaign through payroll contribution<\/a>.\u00a0Those giving\u00a0for the first time will have their donation matched dollar for dollar by Meridian Credit Union.<\/p>\n More information is available on the\u00a0United Way SharePoint<\/a>\u00a0site.<\/p>\n\n\t