As the festive holiday season approaches, decade-high inflation soul stirring for many Canadian charity Battling rising costs, increased demand and declining donations this year.
Charities across the country are feeling the pinch as Canadians struggle to meet and get back charitable contributions. That plus more people coming forward to help has created a “perfect storm,” said chief operating officer and acting CEO Jen Ricciardelli. canada helps,
“This has been a very challenging year for Canadian charities as many are facing similar stressors when it comes to economic uncertainty and the rising cost of living,” he told Global News.
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the Salvation ArmyA Christian organization that supports 400 communities across Canada said last year it distributed Christmas hampers and toys to nearly 350,000 families.
Overall, the group has provided 3.7 million meals, helping 2.6 million Canadians in 2021, said Lt-Col. John Murray, national spokesman for the Salvation Army in Canada.
“This year, we’re down about 20 percent on our fundraising so far,” he told Global News.
Murray said there are also concerns about fewer volunteers helping out with the annual Salvation Army Christmas Kettle campaign.
“When we don’t have as many people hosting a kettle or standing a kettle (it) means people can’t donate, thus … we have less donations coming in.”
The situation is similar in the whole country.
helping our northern neighbors (HONN) is a group that collects and sends supplies to Indigenous people living in remote areas in Canada’s north.
HONN founder Jennifer Gwilliam said inflation has “severely impacted” their ability to help northern communities as more people need basic necessities, but there are not enough resources to deliver.
“Every day, we have sponsors and assistants apologizing for the fact that they had to stop helping for a while because they have to put their families first,” he told Global News in an interview last month.
“Even those who are staying are struggling to continue trying to help out as prices rise.”
Meanwhile, demand has grown exponentially in food banks in Canada.
A report from Food Banks Canada The report, released in October, showed an all-time high of nearly 1.5 million visits to food banks across the country in March.
another report Feed Ontario projects a 24 per cent increase in the number of people accessing food banks in the province this year compared to 2021, citing the cost of food and housing as the main reasons for seeking help. One in three food bank users sought assistance for the first time, said the report published in November.
Food bank use across Canada reached an all-time high, the report said, reaching nearly 1.5 million people in March
Feed Ontario says inventory that would normally last two to three months is now running out after a few weeks.
Carolyn Stewart, executive director of Feed Ontario, said, “Donors who typically give and financially support a food bank do not have the available income to support it and in some circumstances, donors may be able to identify with actual food bank visitors. have turned into.”
In Iqaluit, the Kajukturvik Community Food Center has reported a 12 percent increase in demand every month this year.
“Last summer… we averaged between 100 and 150 meals per day. Right now we’re looking at between 400 and 500 meals per day,” executive director Richard Blais said in a previous interview.
As per latest inflation numbers From Statistics Canada, food prices rose 10.1 percent in October, down slightly from the 10.3 percent increase in September.
Several staples saw year-over-year increases: the price of dry or fresh pasta rose 44.8 percent; Margarine cost 40.4 percent higher; And soup was 18.4 percent costlier.
Dean Shaw, Vice President of Philanthropy Canadian Feed the Childrensaid inflation is affecting not only how much food can be bought at stores, but also how far donations can go, especially when it comes to giving away food.
Shaw said their total online donations are down 15 percent from last year.
“We need more donations this year to provide the same number of meals to children and families,” she said.
Where’s the holiday spirit?
Inflationary pressures have made it difficult for Canadians to buy groceries and property and pay for gas, polling shows, affecting how people celebrate the holidays this year.
In an Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News Last month, 30 per cent of Canadians said they would rein in their gift shopping this holiday season and spend less than in previous years. Nearly half of respondents (45 percent) said they are worried about being able to afford holiday gifts for loved ones this year.
But still, people are in the mood to give, as 47 percent said they would prefer a charitable gift — a donation or a gift card made in their honor — rather than a traditional gift, According to another Ipsos poll Published last month.
This poll was conducted for CanadaHelps It also reported that 20 per cent of Canadians expect to cut their donations and 22 per cent do not plan to donate this year.
Nearly one in four of those surveyed expect to turn to essential charitable services for needs such as food, clothing or shelter in the next six months – up from 14 percent in January.
Rubina Ahmed-Haq, a personal finance expert, said that if money is tight, Canadians might consider canceling their monthly charitable donations altogether or helping in other ways, such as by volunteering and at home. Organizing toy drives.
“Even finding 20, 30 dollars that you can give to your favorite cause or charity is going to go a long way.”, sThey said.
For those who donate, it’s also helpful to get tax exemptions, so be sure to donate to a charity registered in Canada, Ahmad-Haq said.
“Definitely talk to your tax professional or visit the CRA website to make sure you qualify for that tax benefit.”
— With files from Mike Drolet, Melissa Ridgen and Craig Lord