With fall quickly approaching, Toolbox Niagara is gearing up for its seventh annual campaign, collecting winter essentials for the homeless.
“We have everything down to a system now,” explains the organization’s founder James Symons. “We’re all ready. It will be all hands on deck but we’re feeling very good.”
Just like every other year, the campaign will kick off with a pasta dinner at Club Belvedere on September 27.
“People can eat in or take out,” says Symons. “There’s two different seatings. Our focus is to have people come in and enjoy a meal with us. Club Belvedere is the host and proceeds go towards our Toolbox campaign for this year.”
Toolbox Niagara is also teaming up with Niagara Dream Centre and Beyond The Streets Welland to deliver meals to the homeless on September 28. Symons is asking local residents to pay it forward by buying one of these meals.
“We did that two years ago as well,” he says. “We’re hoping to do 125 meals this year.”
And then in the first week of October the collection bins will start popping up all across Thorold, to collect winter essentials for the homeless.
“The need is much greater now,” Symons says. “It’s visible even in Thorold. You see homelessness on Front Street. It’s not hidden anywhere anymore.”
After seven years of Toolbox Niagara, Symons says that Thorold makes it easy to want to keep going.
“The community has been great,” he says. “We’re very thankful for all the kindness and support.”
The pasta dinner will take place at Club Belvedere on Wednesday, September 27. There's a seating at 5 p.m. and a seating at 7 p.m. Take-out can be ordered that same day between 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
To purchase tickets, or to buy a meal for a person in need, click here. Tickets can also be purchased at Club Belvedere, or by emailing [email protected].
