Pandemic ‘took knees out from under us’
Non-profit groups need more help to survive restrictions, Burch says
Hard work by a handful of volunteers has allowed Club Capri in Thorold to keep its doors open, despite limitations implemented to protect people from the spread of COVID-19.
But as they continue to press on, serving takeout meals and a limited number of guests at the Cleveland Street dining room, it is clear to board members that more government support will be crucial to continue the nonprofit organization’s 102-year legacy of supporting the community.
Club Capri vice-president Perri Santino said the organization was looking forward to a “banner year” with numerous bookings and events planned for 2020.
“With weddings and banquets, Mike Borrelli, our general manager, worked really hard to get a lot of functions booked and then boom — COVID hit,” Santino said.
“It took our knees out from under us, and we’ve been feeling it ever since.”
Although the hall has a capacity of 360 guests, restrictions have limited it to no more than 50 at a time.
But due to fears about the deadly virus, Santino said it’s rare to find even that many people in the hall.
He said the club focused on takeout orders from 3 to 6 p.m.
Wednesdays to Fridays, while enlisting the help of a handful of volunteers who have been preparing the meals.
But like many non-profit ethnic halls throughout Niagara and across the country, Santino said they need more help to carry on.
“It’s time for Premier (Doug) Ford and our prime minister to listen. There are a lot of families that depend on this. We’re a bunch of volunteers that have been working, trying to keep it going. But we’ve had to lay off our staff and we want them all back working,” he said.
“They’ve done a good job keeping the economy going, but Ithink they forgot abut this sec
tor a little too much.”
Santino said the club applied for any assistance program that was available.
In August, it also sought a Trillium grant to help make ends meet. But after months of waiting, Borrelli said, the club has yet to be informed about the status of a grant.
“It’s super important to have that Trillium grant to come through for us,” he said.
Santino said the club recently contacted Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch “just to make some noise, and say look there are lot of not-for-profits out there that are struggling.”
“We give back to the community by employing out team
here and donating to different sports teams and organizations, and we can’t do that right now,” Santino said.
“Now it’s all about making sure we can fight through this until COVID is over, and we don’t know how long that’s going to be.”
Club Capri board member Joe Celima said the club has helped support local charities for more than a century, “but now, we’re struggling.”
Burch, the former executive director at the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre, said many ethnic halls in the region were in difficulty even before the pandemic hit.
“It’s always a struggle for them, because they are operating largely on volunteers, and at the best of times it’s difficult,” he said.
“When they lose revenue during COVID — it’s over 50 per cent of their revenue for most of them — it’s really difficult to keep going.”
Burch discussed the plight of ethnic halls, including Club Capri, in the provincial legislature Tuesday.
“Make no mistake: The economic recovery of our province depends on the not-for-profit sector being able to continue to operate,” he said.
“Investment in cultural infrastructure is essential for the health, well-being and economic prosperity of communities. We must invest in these community hubs now or pay a much higher price for the fallout when we lose them.”
Burch said he has since learned the club can expect to hear the status of its Trillium grant application within two weeks, but there is no indication of how much funding the grant will include.
“I think we need a more comprehensive approach. The government has always underestimated the importance of notfor-profit organizations to the economy,” he said.
“It’s a huge part of the economy. It’s a huge number of jobs. I think (the government) is underestimating what the loss will be if they have to close down.”