On September 15, Cobs Bread had a grand opening of their new location in Heartland Town Centre, Mississauga. What made the occasion grander was their generosity and dedication to the betterment of the community. All money from sales was donated to Nisa Homes, with team members invited to showcase Nisa Homes at the location itself.
Events like the Cobs Bread Community Day are crucial in furthering the message and work of organizations like Nisa Homes. Not only do they create a way to support the vulnerable in our community via monetary donations, these events and collaborations help disseminate knowledge and create awareness.
This event gave us a platform to reach a wider spectrum of people who may not have heard about Nisa Homes or the services we provide. We received many questions from curious customers whether they were lining up for fresh bread or pulling up in cars to investigate the cause of the line-up into the store. Upon learning about Nisa Homes, their surprise was genuine and evoked interest, leading them to offer support and spread the word to their family, friends and co-workers.
One of the more prevalent questions we received that day was why Nisa Homes was necessary in Canada, considering there are already government-funded shelters in place. It’s not common knowledge that government shelters only provide shelter for three weeks while Nisa Homes provides our clients seeking refuge with not only safe shelter for up to three months but also resources and support to start over. While government shelters may be an instant reprieve from their hardships, they are not able to provide assistive services to these women – like applying for healthcare, career development or searching for affordable housing.
Shelters like Nisa Homes are also crucial in aiding while remaining culturally and religiously sensitive, offering our services in multiple languages, removing a major barrier in navigating the system. Women who come to Nisa Homes are greeted with a familiar environment, which helps earn their trust and opens them up for healing.
When a well-known business, like Cobs Bread, partners with a non-profit, they are validating that organization’s authenticity. Collaborations with mainstream brands, like Cobs Bread, is not only good for Nisa Homes, but also for our partnering businesses.
For the business themselves, most feel a connection to the cause. The Cobs Bread representative who organized the community, is an immigrant to Canada. She knows first-hand the struggles that are faced by the residents of Nisa Homes, whether it is navigating the Canadian system, finding work, or finding a place to live. The partnership also establishes the business as ethical as they invest their resources, time and money in helping the vulnerable members of the community.
All in all, we thank Cobs Bread from the bottom of our hearts, and we hope that their generosity is the seed for all their future success.
