Giving Back During the Holidays
Updated November 29, 2021
IN THIS ARTICLE:
✔ Donate to the food bank
✔ Give to a local holiday toy drive
✔ Choose a charity with a special connection
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At a time of year when we can find ourselves overwhelmed by “stuff”, giving the gift of a charitable donation is a meaningful way to honour a loved one while supporting the community. Here are some ideas for charitable gift giving this holiday season.
Food insecurity is an issue in many parts of the country, and local food banks keep thousands of at-risk Canadians from going hungry each month. In March 2021 alone, Food Banks Canada distributed 3,216,631 meals and snacks (excluding their hamper program). They serve a variety of people including those who are employed, on disability, living on a pension and children. While children make up just 19% of Canada’s total population, they make up 34% of those relying on food banks.
This holiday season consider making a donation of non-perishable items to your local food bank in honour of someone on your shopping list. Donations of fresh or frozen food are accepted but must be coordinated with your local drop off location in advance. You can also make a monetary donation to your local food bank or to Food Banks Canada. A cash donation is easy to do online and often makes a bigger impact than food donations.
Give to a local holiday toy drive
As we grow a little older, the holidays become less about what we get and more about the feelings the holiday inspires. What better way to celebrate than by making a child’s holiday season extra special? Consider donating to a local toy drive in honour of someone on your holiday list. Not only will they appreciate the kind gesture you can both feel good knowing that you made a child in need happy.
Choose a charity with a special connection
When choosing a not-for-profit or charitable organization to donate to in someone’s honour, make sure to choose a cause that speaks to their unique values and interests. If they are passionate about animal rights, consider donating to their local Humane Society. Think about what matters to them and do a little research on reputable charities in that field. Charity Intelligence is a great resource for assessing how your donation will be spent and what the real-life impact could be. They also put out an annual list of the top 100 rated charities in Canada — it may inspire your philanthropic choices!
Volunteer
Don’t forget, while community organizations are appreciative of monitory donations, they are also eager for volunteers. If your budget is too tight to make a financial contribution you can sign up to volunteer for a day. Invite the person you are hoping to honour along too. Volunteering together is a wonderful way to bond over a shared passion, and to see how a charitable organization gives back to the community it serves.
goeasy gives back
Giving back is just one of the ways we put Canadians on a better path to tomorrow, today. Every year we hold several food drives, as well as our annual toy drive, on top of our continuous support of organizations like BGC (formerly known as The Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada), and Habitat for Humanity.
This holiday season, goeasy has partnered with BGC of Hamilton and Peel to support their 2021 Holiday Toy Drive. Last year goeasy employees donated nearly 3,000 toys. This year our goal is to donate 3,500. If you’d like to join us and support BGC in their efforts to provide toys to children in need this holiday season please donate here or drop a toy off to your local easyhome/easyfinancial location before December 15, 2021.
This year, considering the flooding that has devasted BC, we have made a donation of $10,000 to the Canadian Red Cross BC Flood Relief Fund, to support ongoing rescue and recovery efforts. We strongly encourage anyone able to, to donate and support the people impacted by this disaster. goeasy is continuing to monitor the situation to see how we can best serve our customers and employees affected by this situation.
Happy holidays from goeasy
No matter where you donate this holiday season, know that you’re making an impact in someone else’s life and helping to create a better tomorrow for individuals and families in need. This captures the spirit of the holiday season no matter which holiday you celebrate and is a gift that will continue to pay it forward for years to come. From all of us at goeasy, happy holidays!