Shelley Gilca: Bringing Community, Culture and Connection to Niagara Falls
On August 20, the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls Sunrise welcomed Shelley Gilca, a passionate community advocate who has made it her mission to bring people together through arts, culture and neighbourhood connections.
Shelley shared her story with members, talking about her journey in Niagara Falls and the many ways she has worked to make the community a more vibrant and connected place. Since 2016, she has organized a variety of unique events, including Porchfest, a small-scale music festival featuring local musicians performing from front porches throughout the downtown neighbourhood; Stories From the Porch, where community members gather to share stories; and Sundays on the Porch, showcasing local musicians from—of course—her own front porch!
Her involvement in the community extends well beyond these events. Shelley has volunteered with the City's Municipal Heritage Committee and is a past board member of the Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Society in Niagara Falls, New York, as well as Third Space Café.
Adding another chapter to her story, Shelley recently graduated from the Midwifery Education Program at Laurentian University. Clearly, she is someone who keeps busy—but when she does find some downtime, you're most likely to find her doing what she loves best: sitting on her front porch and connecting with the community.
We were delighted to have Shelley join us and share her experiences. With her passion for community, service, culture and bringing people together, perhaps we can convince Shelley that her next community connection should be with Rotary! We’d love to see her back at a meeting—and maybe, someday, as a member of our Rotary family.
Shelley Gilca: Bringing Community, Culture and Connection to Niagara Falls
On August 20, the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls Sunrise welcomed Shelley Gilca, a passionate community advocate who has made it her mission to bring people together through arts, culture and neighbourhood connections.
Shelley shared her story with members, talking about her journey in Niagara Falls and the many ways she has worked to make the community a more vibrant and connected place. Since 2016, she has organized a variety of unique events, including Porchfest, a small-scale music festival featuring local musicians performing from front porches throughout the downtown neighbourhood; Stories From the Porch, where community members gather to share stories; and Sundays on the Porch, showcasing local musicians from—of course—her own front porch!
Her involvement in the community extends well beyond these events. Shelley has volunteered with the City's Municipal Heritage Committee and is a past board member of the Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Society in Niagara Falls, New York, as well as Third Space Café.
Adding another chapter to her story, Shelley recently graduated from the Midwifery Education Program at Laurentian University. Clearly, she is someone who keeps busy—but when she does find some downtime, you're most likely to find her doing what she loves best: sitting on her front porch and connecting with the community.
We were delighted to have Shelley join us and share her experiences. With her passion for community, service, culture and bringing people together, perhaps we can convince Shelley that her next community connection should be with Rotary! We’d love to see her back at a meeting—and maybe, someday, as a member of our Rotary family.