Community funds strengthening fabric of NiagaraBY PAUL FORSYTH, Niagara This Week – ThoroldSince marrying her new husband and moving to Thorold, Rachel De Divitiis now has a new understanding of why folks in the little city love it so much. It’s something hubby Mario De Divitiis already knew, since he spent most of his life growing up there and his family flourished running businesses such as the Moose and Goose and Amici’s Banquet and Conference Centre under the leadership of his late father Paul and his mom Anna. Now the newlyweds want to give back to the city that’s given them so much, by creating the first named community fund in Thorold that will for years to come earn money to help all manner of community causes in the city. They’re joining a growing number of couples, families and businesses setting up funds to make Niagara a stronger, better place to live through the Niagara Community Foundation (NCF). “It’s a matter of contributing to where we live and hoping to make the community that we walk our dog in every day and we live in every day a better community,” said Rachel, who manages the entrepreneurial hub at Niagara College. Instead of handing out wedding favours at their recent nuptials, the couple left cards for guests notifying them that instead they were contributing to the new fund established in their name. Mario, chief executive officer of the Niagara Workforce Planning Board, said Thorold and his parents became closely intertwined through the family businesses and his mom’s 30-plus years of volunteering in schools and churches. The city recently named a section of Front Street in his father’s honour, and his mom received a good citizenship award for lifetime achievement. “I want to do more for others,” said Mario. “That was a lesson my parents really drilled down in to me.” Read more from Niagara This Week | 
