The Great Canadian Giving Challenge is back for the month of June in support of local charities.
Every dollar donated through CanadaHelps gives a charity the chance to win a $20,000 prize as part of the sixth annual event.
Canadians have the opportunity to donate to 86,000 different charities such as Kelowna's Mamas for Mamas, a national non-profit supporting others and caregivers who are facing crisis or poverty-related struggles.
“Now more than ever our community needs us to step up and we are seeing families who have never faced poverty before all of a sudden in dire need of emergency social supports,” says founder and executive director of Mamas for Mamas Shannon Christensen.
“We are managing a 98 per cent decrease in funding and the $20,000 prize would help us provide an additional 500 moms, at minimum, with ongoing support through our at-risk program.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians are reminded how important charities are and how the charitable sector plays a crucial role in society. Food banks, homeless shelters, mental health crisis lines, children's programs and many more charities ensure that vulnerable Canadians stay fed, safe and healthy.
“The summer has always been a tough time for charities because donations are typically lower and it is much harder to attract the public’s attention for their cause; in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, charities now face an even greater challenge,” says president and CEO of CanadaHelps Marina Glogovac.
“As provinces and cities across the country begin to reopen, we cannot forget about the critical role charities play in the recovery of communities. Helping charities remain viable is essential to maintaining Canada’s social safety net during this unprecedented crisis and in the future.”
Due to COVID-19 measures, fundraising events such as walk-a-thons, golf tournaments, concerts, galas, trivia nights and more have been cancelled. This has negatively impacted charities across the province.
During last year's Great Canadian Giving Challenge, $14 million was raised for more than 12,000 Canadian charities.
