THANK YOU to all our attendees, food drive participants, sponsors and door prize donors for joining us at this year's 14th Annual Christmas Lunch & Food Drive. Thanks to your generosity, we brought in $5,842 in monetary and food donations bringing our 14 year total to a whopping $18,842!

Kevan Peters of Halucha Cost Consulting (and NCA Young Leaders Chair/Board member) congratulates this year’s top food drive donor, fellow NCA Board Member Chris DeValkenaere of Falcon Crane and Concrete Pumping. Other notable donors included Four Aces Traffic Control ($2111), Cotton Inc. ($687), Wiens Underground Electric ($500) and many others. Said DeValkenaere, “Betty-Lou is a great person, and Community Care is a great cause. If anyone out there can do anything at all to help, please do.”

Betty-Lou Souter, CEO of Community Care, St. Catharines & Thorold provided an overview of the social and economic state of the Niagara Region in relation to the resources Community Care provides. Of the many sobering statistics mentioned, of note is that this holiday season the agency will support 13,000 individuals through the Christmas Program as well as delivering another 21 programs and supports. The Region is currently “experiencing a perfect storm – an opioid crisis, increased mental health and the lack of affordable housing are putting extraordinary demands on the system and this is compounded by the increased cost of living. Although there are more people in the work force, they are not making enough money to make ends meet and there has been a marked increase in the number of ‘working’ poor accessing our services.” Ms. Souter commented, “Having the members of the NCA recognize and value the work we do in such a tangible way is gratifying. We know they are in the background supporting us in the important work we do, and on the busiest of days that means so much to all of us.”

The Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest was a hit! Top prize went to Laura of Halucha Cost Consulting (far left). Thank you so much to all our contestants for adding so much fun to the day!

Left: Our Young Leaders were our Santa's Helpers as they weighed the event's food drive donations. Thank you to (left to right): Evan Schipper (Merit Contractors Niagara) and Kevan Peters (Halucha Cost Consulting), with moral support from Vernon Muma of Hygrade Precast. Right: Chad Mumby of GenPro/OGCA with optimistic and festive vest.

City of St. Catharines' Councillor Sal Sorrento joins NCA Board Members Carol Danis (PEC Roof Maintenance), Jack McKiernan (honourary), Tara Christensen (PEC Roof Maintenance) and Michael Mirynech (2M Architects) for a festive group photo.

Check our Facebook page for more great pix!

THANK YOU TO OUR LUNCH SPONSORS!

THANK YOU TO OUR DOOR PRIZE SPONSORS!

THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT FAVOUR SPONSOR and DONORS!