Spirits were high on Tuesday evening as Toolbox Niagara and its supporters met at Club Belvedere in downtown Thorold to put together kits for the homeless.
Throughout the last month, Toolbox founder James Symons has been collecting essentials at several locations throughout the city such as Thorold City Hall, Fire Station 1, and the Thorold Public Library.
Last night, those essentials, consisting of toiletries, winter accessories, and snacks, were packed into little kits.
“Tonight is our sixth assembly,” says Symons, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “We’ve invited Ted Boldt out, our presenting sponsor. They have never experienced the assembly so they wanted to experience it.”
Tara Sabadin from Boldt Realty says that supporting Toolbox Niagara is a no-brainer.
“It’s a very important thing that needs to be done in Niagara,” she tells ThoroldToday. “There’s a lot of people that are in need. It’s just necessary. Why wouldn’t you want to help and do what you can?”
Also present to help out with the assembly were the 10th Welland Regiment Scouts, and some of Symons’ co-workers, family and friends.
Toolbox supporter Kelly Papineau has been with the organization from the very beginning.
“He compels me,” Papineau tells ThoroldToday. “He wakes up every day wanting to help. I find that inspiring. He just has so much gumption to help and reach out to people that might not have any other support. I wanted to be a part of it.”
It’s been six years and Papineau has only gotten more involved, becoming a Toolbox Niagara board member.
“You can’t quit once you start,” Papineau says. “It’s good stuff.”
Toolbox Niagara managed to put together 1050 kits this years which will now be distributed to homeless shelters in the region.
“A very big thank you to the City of Thorold for a solid year,” says Symons. “The St. Catharines donation bin was full, the bin in Niagara Falls did well, we did well everywhere. We might have to come back in January and do a second round.”
