We are officially announcing that the time has come – on Friday January 13^th, 2012 at 8am, the renovation of the Lincoln County Branch of St. John Ambulance will begin with a small ceremony!!

We are very excited to begin this large scale renovation and hope that you keep checking our website for ongoing updates!

For the 15th year, Niagara College students are reaching out to make a difference in the community through their Many Hands renovation project. The Lincoln County Branch of St. John Ambulance has been chosen to be this year’s recipient.

Many Hands is a community-driven project organized by Niagara College students in the Event Management Graduate Certificate program and the Construction Studies program. Each year, students assist a not-for-profit organization by enhancing, improving and renovating its facility.

Shelley Merlo, professor/coordinator of the Event Management program, who is an advisor for the Many Hands project, said Many Hands is a living laboratory for students.
“The students learn quickly the value of giving back to the community, the importance of fundraising events, what they can do for the community and, importantly, the Niagara Region,” she said.

The college’s Event Management students plan, produce and execute fundraising events to promote the project. So far, they are planning four fundraisers to support the St. John Ambulance effort. Construction students plan and execute the renovations. At St. John Ambulance, they will work to make the building accessible, replace the windows, create new storage areas for teaching materials, and update rooms to accommodate training courses that are offered, including the therapy dog training program. Some examples of materials required will include dry wall, new flooring, windows and doors. Construction is scheduled to take place from January to April 2012.

Located in St. Catharines, St. John Ambulance is a vital organization that serves the entire Niagara Region. Its volunteers and very minimal staff host and teach first aid classes as well as participate in and offer first aid services for a variety of community events. Their mission is to enable Canadians to improve their health, safety and quality of life by providing training (first aid) and community services (health and safety).

Brad Kempston, vice-chair. Board of Directors at St. John Ambulance Lincoln Branch, said they are thrilled to be this year’s recipient of the Many Hands renovation project.

“The anticipated renovations will breathe new life into a tired building by facilitating ease of access for all users and by providing upgraded training and administrative facilities,” he said. “The planned improvements are a good fit into the building renewal program which began two years ago with a new roof on the building and updated heating and ventilation systems. It will better enable us to accomplish our mission which is to enable Canadians to improve their health, safety, and quality of life by providing training through courses (First Aid, CPR/ED, Babysitting, Car Seat Installation, Pet First Aid ) and Community Services (Medical First Responders, Therapy Dogs and Cadets).”

For project information, sponsorship inquires or volunteer opportunities, please visit www.NiagaraCollege.ca/ManyHands.

The following sponsors and donors went above and beyond to ensure that the Project and the Salavation Army recieved everything they needed. Their desire to help and the commitment they showed to the Project was truly heartwarming, and we are so grateful. The Project could not have happened without them. Thank you.

- A1 Appliances
- TIM-BR Mart
- Home Hardware
- The Brick
- Benjamin Moore Paint
- Jean Pinner – Electrician
- Sherwin Williams Paint
- RONA
- Town of Fort Erie
- Stevensville Landscaping (Cam)
- M&Ms
- Tim Horton’s
- Modern Construction
- Sun Media

Thanks go to the Construction Studies students and their Program Coordinators for their dedication and hardwork. Without your assistance the Project would never come to be.

Additional thank yous to the Many Hands Committee for your commitment to organizing the ceremonies, securing sponsors and keeping the Project on track. Special thanks to Shelley Merlo for guiding them through the whole process.

Finally, thank you to all those who volunteered their time and assitance on the final Blitz Day and endured days of painting to complete the transformation.

Many thanks!  : )

It was 8 months in the making, but the renovation of the Salavation Army in Fort Erie is complete. A new kitchen was installed, two new offices built, brand new food storage area and all walls and trim were repainted.

Make sure to check out your local newspapers for articles and photos. Additional photos are available on our Updates page where you can find a link to our Flikr account.

Congratulations to the Event Management and Construction Studies programs at Niagara College for another successful year!
We wish nothing but the best of luck for the 2012 Many Hands Project!

Many thanks! : )

We are still accepting food donations and Canadian Tire money at our booth at Niagara College’s Spring Showcase ‘In Your Backyard‘. Be sure to check us out and all the fanatstic booths displayed at In Your Backyard.

Many thanks!  : )

Additionally, we will be collecting non-perishable foods, Canadian Tire money and spare change on April 2nd and 3rd at ‘In Your Backyard’  - Niagara College’s Spring Showcase. Visit our booth and experience what Niagara College has to offer!

Many thanks!  : )

Reveal Ceremony!

Many thanks!  : )

Currently, we are still looking for donations of materials and supplies. Please visit our Materials Needed page to see if you have anything we could use!

Keep chekcing back for more updates and information about our reveal day!

Many thanks!  : )

We would like to thank everyone who voted like crazy for us – we successfully rose to 18th place at our finest, and ended in the 20th spot!

Our hope is that the projects to follow ours will take full advantage of similar opportunities to increase their impact in the community.

Many thanks! : )