The Niagara Construction Association (NCA) is thrilled to announce that as a result of their 14th Annual NCA Christmas Lunch & Food Drive on December 6 at the St. Catharines Holiday Inn & Suites Hotel & Conference Centre.

NCA members generously donated $5,642 in food and monetary donations, bringing their cumulative 14-year total to $18,642. Falcon Crane & Concrete Pumping brought in a whopping $3,000 bank draft, making them the top donor this year. Other notable donors included Four Aces Traffic Control ($2,111), Cotton Inc. ($687) and Wiens Underground Electric ($500).

This year’s total donation was supplemented through sponsorships from the Christian Labour Association of Canada, Falcon Crane & Concrete Pumping, the Ontario General Contractors Association, Touchstone Contractors Inc., O’Hara Trucking & Excavating, Peninsula Lakes Golf Course and Advantage Flooring.

Proceeds benefit Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold and other Niagara food banks.

“Community Care is a great cause,” said Chris DeValkenaere of Falcon Crane. “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.

This holiday season, the agency will support 13,000 individuals through its Christmas Program, and delivering another 21 programs and supports. Souter said 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.”

“Having the members of the NCA recognize and value the work we do in such a tangible way is gratifying,” said Souter. “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.”

“It continues to astonish us how generous our NCA members are in donating to our community at this very important time of year,” added NCA General Manager Karin Sheldrick. “Their generosity is nothing short of inspiring.”