This week Centraides across Quebec launched this year’s fundraising campaign under the theme ‘Here, with heart’. The organization helps support 1,500 community agencies which provide essential services to more than 1.5 million Quebecers.
With confinement over the last few months resulting in job losses, rising food prices and stress in local communities, this year’s campaign is an important one.
“This new reality means that the agencies that help the most vulnerable people are themselves in a precarious situation,” explained Marie-Hélène Wolfe, Executive Director of Centraide Estrie in a press release. “Centraide’s social expertise and knowledge of the community is more relevant than ever,” she said.
Rather than hold a press conference to launch the financial campaign, members of the fundraising team went to the Chaudronnée de l’Estrie soup kitchen in Sherbrooke on Wednesday to lead by example and volunteer during lunch service.
According to Centraide Estrie, the unemployment rate remained at close to 10 per cent in July, and the demand at food banks is a source of concern, having even tripled in recent months. Vulnerable people have been particularly affected by the health, social and economic crisis. COVID-19 has further deepened existing social inequalities.
The situation has also highlighted financial challenges of low-income workers, essential to society, who now struggle to make ends meet.
Faced with the crisis, Centraides in Quebec have responded by setting up emergency funds throughout the province.
Because of the pandemic, the majority of the organizations affiliated with Centraide are experiencing shortfalls and have to review their operations, support expenses related to new health standards and deal with exploding needs.
For more information on how to get involved and support the fundraising campaign, visit the website https://www.centraideestrie.com.
Centraide launches fundraising campaign
Record Staff
