While everyone’s budgets are stretched nowadays, if you have anything left from your Black Friday and Cyber Monday hauls, consider participating in Giving Tuesday.
There are many non-profits and charities that are also feeling the pinch, even more so with the postal strike restricting one of the avenues to elicit support for annual fundraising campaigns.
If you can, here’s a half-dozen wonderful community building local charitable organizations that could always use support for their great work. Whether it’s in the form of donations, purchasing raffle or lottery tickets, volunteering your time, or even just spreading the word, every bit helps.
Hope & Health: With a vision to support Indigenous children and youth to carry themselves with pride and confidence, through a host of sport-based programs and social initiatives that engages the youth in their communities to become champions for life. Initiatives include soccer camps through The Nautsa’mawt FC Academy, building mini-pitches in 9 (so far) indigenous communities, community champion mentoring programs and more.
Power to Be: An organization that creates accessible, barrier-free nature-based activities for youth, families and adults living with cognitive, physical, financial, or social barriers. Delivering inclusive outdoor adventures, wilderness wellness or social change project, Power to Be believes everyone belongs in nature.
Employ to Empower: A local, grassroots charity empowering people with work and social barriers through entrepreneurial resources. Through business skills training, personalized mentorship, micro-loans and self-advocacy opportunities, Employ to Empower gives a hand up to the many Downtown Eastside (DTES) residents that strive to become entrepreneurs as an avenue for earning an income, developing confidence and contributing to their community.
Vancouver Friends for Life Society: Since 1993, VFFL believes that no one should have to face the challenges of living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illness alone. Through a holistic wellness centre offering a comprehensive list of support services like meals, counselling, therapy, health and wellness programs all aimed to help members gain control over their health and to reduce anxiety, stress, and isolation from managing their illness.
Pacific Salmon Foundation: For nearly 40 years, PSF has been dedicated to putting salmon first, a keystone species, Pacific Salmon play an essential role in the health and function of all ecosystems. Collaborating with all members of the “salmon community” – which in British Columbia are nearly everywhere – PSF makes transformational change for the benefit of Pacific salmon from rehabilitation of the smallest stream, to ocean management or scientific research.
Helicopters without Borders: Believing everyone, regardless of location, should have access to basic comprehensive healthcare. With 19% of Canadians living in rural and remote communities, often hundreds or even thousands of kilometres from the nearest healthcare facilities, Helicopters without Borders has helped connect thousands with medical and dental care by delivering the carers and mobile clinics direct to the communities, as well as delivering precious supplies.
These are just a few of the worthy organizations doing wonderful work in our communities near and far, take a look at these more in-depth or find your own to support if you are able.