Michelle Bruce and Libania Alves Pereira Soares Garcia were among 300 students who raised over $24,000 in a program-wide fundraiser to help eradicate homelessness in Niagara.

Spring may be upon us, but students in Niagara College’s Business – Sales and Marketing program kept heads warm this winter with a program-wide fundraiser selling thousands of toques for Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold, part of their Raising the Roof campaign.

Housing Programs and Services manager with Community Care, Catherine Livingstone, says that NC’s long-standing partnership with the College gives their organization a platform to raise awareness about eradicating homelessness and improving housing.

“We just wouldn’t be able to do it without the students,” said Livingstone. “We value the partnership with the College and in my opinion we would be hard pressed to deliver our services without them.”

Libania Alves Pereira Soares Garcia and her family sport toques for Community Care.

Michelle Bruce, a first year Business – Sales and Marketing student, mother of two, and graduate of NC’s Photography program (2017), and Libania Alves Pereira Soares Garcia, a mature, international student from Brazil, teamed up for the Raising the Roof campaign as part of their Professional Selling Level 1 course. Bruce and Garcia, like their classmates, were tasked with applying their learning to sell toques and raise awareness on improving access to housing for all. The two women had a shared vision for leveraging the fundraiser to make a real difference in their community.

“I thought, what if I took what we’ve been learning in the classroom and genuinely tried to make a difference. This became my motivation,” said Bruce, who came to the program after many years supporting her husband’s small business. “The funds for Community Care can make the difference between a kid who goes to college and sees their worth instead of becoming another statistic.”

As a mom, and inspired by a front-line staff member who works with at-risk teens for Community Care, Bruce was determined to sell more than the eight hats she started with. Together, she and Garcia capped off the fundraiser selling 66 hats – a total value of $990.

Bruce’s fundraising partner Garcia, credits her professor Monique Finley for inspiring them through her passionate approach to teaching. “She brings us the magic of sales,” said Garcia, who noted a lesson on the important of “buy-in” for both the buyer and the seller. “The sale is nothing more than an invitation to a good experience, the product is an accessory. People wanted to help with a cause like this especially after hearing it’s a partnership with Niagara College.”

Bruce and Garcia focused on pitching to businesses, their church, and friends who welcomed them openly. “The cause spoke to people because it was for the community as a whole. Those who had a generous heart and design to make a better community bought happily,” said Garcia. “I come from Brazil and have a huge community at home that I am very active within. This assignment and partnership allowed me to feel like I was a part of something and was able to utilize my skills that I have obtained in the program.”

The funds raised will help to support various key services offered by Community Care, including trusteeship (money management), walk-in services (recently modified to accommodate for physical distancing guidelines amid COVID-19), an ID clinic, a utility program, and an annual income tax clinic.

Bruce credits the opportunity to fundraise for Community Care as one of the hallmarks of her NC experience, and to prepare for industry expectations.

“I almost feel guilty for how much I gained from this experience… how much more confident I’ve become with my selling abilities,” said Bruce. “My motivation was the cause and the bonus… was being able to use this program to give back.”

“The professors in this program are amazing. Niagara College does an excellent job providing you with knowledgeable instructors that truly prepare you for what’s beyond the classroom. My professors Monique Finley and Chris Treschak… are single-handedly the reason why I have turned my focus towards sales,” said Bruce.