GBC and the Student Association take part in United Way’s annual fundraiser again.
GBC supported United Way again this year by organizing the annual pancake breakfast fundraiser and participating in the CN Tower climb.
United Way’s fundraising campaign this year focuses on raising money to meet the basic needs of people in our communities, especially those facing poverty.
The Student Association of George Brown College (SAGBC) partnered with GBC to help with the fundraising campaign.
Ronnie Cruz, interim equity and advocacy manager at SAGBC said, “This community campaign is to tackle the important issues relating to the housing crisis, lack of mental health support and food insecurity around us. United Way has consistently led the way in addressing the immediate needs of our community by channeling funds to neighborhood agencies and services.”
Cruz shared that the Student Nutrition Access Program (SNAP) receives almost 200,000 pounds of food from the Daily Bread Food Bank which is a recipient of United Way.
SNAP serves students at all GBC campuses and helps ensure that those facing food insecurity are supported.
A suggested donation of $10 was set for the pancake breakfast. However, SAGBC contributed an amount through SNAP to help students be a part of the event regardless of their financial ability to donate.
“It went really well with significant student engagement. The SA SNAP team distributed over 150 vouchers for a free pancake breakfast to students who couldn’t meet the suggested donation due to financial hardship and food insecurity,” said Cruz.
GBC raised around $3,000 from the pancake breakfast fundraiser which was held on Oct. 17 at the three major campuses.
In addition to the pancake breakfast, GBC also supported the campaign by participating in UnitedWay’s ClimbUP event.
Students and members of the GBC community were able to sign up and participate in the CN tower climb to raise money for United Way’s campaign.
Participants were able to join the college’s team GBClimbers with a $25 fee and minimum $100 fundraising requirement.
To encourage more students to participate and to support student engagement, GBC’s leadership team committed to sponsoring those who were not able to meet the minimum fundraising requirement.
The climb took place on Oct. 21.
Cruz, who has participated in the CN Tower Climb previously, participated again this year.
“Back in 2015, I signed up to climb the CN Tower and folks from GBC gathered at the convention center, and we were divided into groups of ten. Once you entered the stairwell, the timer started. The positive and enthusiastic energy of the people we were climbing with were truly encouraging, making the climb somewhat easier,” said Cruz. “If you’ve never been to the CN Tower before, this is a great opportunity to do so, as you can spend as much time as you want at the top to enjoy the view of downtown Toronto.”
“The CN Tower climb is suitable for individuals of all ages, as long as they are physically mobile. There is no time limit, so you can take as much time as you need to climb the stairs,” she added.
Peter Corno, director of student experience and Zin Hein, construction and engineering technologies educational centre representative took part in the climb alongside Cruz and other GBC students, faculty and staff.
The fundraising goal was $10,000 and at the end of the campaign, GBC was able to raise a total of $11,351.
The funds raised will be directly distributed to neighbourhood agencies and services such as the Daily Bread Food Bank which donates good to SNAP.
The funds generated from this campaign will thus support and address the food security needs of the community.
“Participating in this initiative is an excellent way for students to make a tangible impact, benefiting not only themselves but also their families and the broader community. It’s a remarkable opportunity to foster camaraderie and actively contribute to improving the lives of those around us and the society in which we live,” said Cruz.
