Brock Press

Issue date: 3/14/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Travis Nicholson

From the time the doors of Brock University opened up to the time they closed on March 6, five Brock students simulated a homeless environment to help raise money for Community Care, a local outreach program.
Set up on the Canadian Tire Bridge, connecting Taro Hall and the Students' Centre, Kerri Lyn Grainger, Mandy Balaen, Courtney Dobias, Christina Mottola and Devon Rogers sat in their makeshift tent and lawn chairs, flagged down anyone who passed and relayed information about their cause and collected donations, both monetary and non-perishable food items.
Simulating a homeless lifestyle on the bridge rather than outside initiated a slight loss of impact to some, but the students wanted to access and approach as many people as they could.
"We considered it," said Balaen, referring to hosting the event outside. "It was the image we wanted to go for, but not many people will want to walk outside when it's this cold."
While conducting their cause inside may have tainted the scene, allowing themselves to eat only if people brought them food certainly made up for it.
The Event in the Tent idea was spawned from a class project for the Brock students, and choosing Community Care as their foundation was no accident.
"We wanted to focus on something that was important in the community," said Balaen.
"We also wanted to do something drastic," said Mottola. "We really wanted to make a point and have something that would make people want to stop and talk."
Word of mouth was not the only way to create awareness, as many people stopped and looked at the table that was set up, complete with Community Care's mission statement, goals and objectives and other pertinent information.
Nancy McIntosh, Community Care's Fund Development Officer, who was on hand during the day, helping the students relay information and ask for donations, was incredibly happy that her foundation was chosen.
"I think it's fabulous that they chose Community Care," said McIntosh. "After Christmas, Community Care is forgotten about, so [it's great] to know that the Brock students are thinking about us, we're thrilled."
Community Care, however, is not just about the homeless, and caters to residents in the Niagara region who need assistance, whether it be food, clothing or other types of help for those residents living below the poverty line.

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