Our Purpose is to improve the conditions of Niagara's seasonal workers by building relationships, welcoming them into the community, and providing alternative social spaces outside of the farms. We'd like to develop bridges of understanding and respect between offshore workers and Brock students. We want to encourage working partnerships on different projects and social events for the workers. By educating and encouraging relationships, we hope that the students will volunteer their services when most of the workers will arrive between February and April.

Group Coordinator: Kate Andres-Toal
GROW MySpace's Page

Grow has some events coming up including:

Migrant Worker Fan Club
The heat and humidity of southern Ontario summers can be brutal. For migrant workers, it is often unbearable. After working 12-hour days under the hot sun, many workers return home to a building that is not air conditioned or that doesn't even have proper air ventilation. One worker described his bedroom at night as an oven. No one can sleep under these conditions.

In response, GROW (Growing Respect for Offshore Workers) has set up the Migrant Worker Fan Club which lends electric fans to workers during the sweltering summer months. To join, all you need to do is lend (permanently or seasonally) any electric fans you have in good working condition and rest knowing that you've helped another person rest well!

For more information or a list of drop-off locations, please e-mail grow_niagara@hotmail.com or call Kate at 905-228-3713.

Thank you!

Articles about GROW:

How can we turn our back on a valued worker?; Treatment of an offshore worker who is battling cancer is shameful (The Standard, May 13, 2007)

My extended family is always growing (The Standard, September 20, 2007)