Do you know about #GivingTuesday? It’s a new Canadian movement for giving and volunteering, and the “opening day of the giving season.” It is a day where charities, companies and individuals join together to share commitments, rally for favourite causes, and think about others.
We wanted you to know about a few causes that are important to us that celebrate or highlight the principles that influence our work at the FOLD Foundation. Here are some suggestions from us:
1. THE CANADIAN CENTRE FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) is a made-in-Canada solution designed to help employers, and diversity and inclusion, Human Rights and Equity and human resources practitioners effectively address the full picture of diversity, equity and inclusion within the workplace. For Giving Tuesday, CCDI is raising money for their in-school program called See Different. See Different empowers students to embark on a discovery of self and differences – and become agents of change. See Different is full of moving stories of transformation when barriers of prejudice and discrimination are broken down. Check them out here.
2. PEN CANADA
PEN Canada does a plethora of things to help writers in exile, including research, education, and financial support. Most importantly, PEN Canada helps free writers who are persecuted, and in many countries, imprisoned and tortured for expressing themselves. On Giving Tuesday, PEN is raising funds for a dedicated emergency fund. With it, PEN can provide one-time emergency grants to writers in peril for transportation to flee violence, settlement and immigration costs, and medical expenses related to persecution. Give to them here.
3. DEAFBLIND ONTARIO
DeafBlind Ontario Services provides intervenor, residential and other specialized services to individuals who are deafblind. Through respect, trust and teamwork, DeafBlind Ontario is providing leadership in deafblind awareness, training, programming and services. The needs of those with special ability are incredibly important to the FOLD: and building events that are attentive to these needs is of equal importance to us. Though there are 350,000 deaf Canadians, and 3,000,000 there are no Canadian literary festivals that consider the needs of the deaf community. We’d like to change that. If you’re interested in supporting education efforts and the autonomy of individuals supported by DeafBlind Ontario, you can do so here.
4. OUT ON THE SHELF
Out on the Shelf is a Guelph based charity that provides support and resources for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Trans and Queer (LGBTQ) communities and the public at large. OOTS also serve as an important source of education in the community on LGBTQ issues, history and culture, and combats homophobia. OOTS is a public space where the LGBTQ community in Guelph can gather, where people can drop-in, where small LGBTQ events can be held, and where new residents or people in search of information on LGBTQ resources can be assisted. Make sure to let them know you support them by using the hashtag #WhyINeedOOTS and support them here.
5. UNITED WAY OF PEEL REGION
From 2006-2011, Brampton saw a population growth of 28% and continues to rise each year. However, Peel Region is a vulnerable community that is at risk because funding for social programs is shrinking relative to the city’s growth. The role of agencies that connect our community members cannot be diminished. Most people know what an important part of any community United Way agencies are. United Way Peel Region generates positive community impact that leads to better lives for everyone. They work to address the immediate needs of the Peel community and to identify and remedy the root causes for social issues that will strengthen Peel Region, therefore creating sustainable change. The FOLD wants a strong, connected and inclusive Peel Region. If you want that too, you can support United Way Peel Region here.
6. The FOLD
OK, maybe we’re biased. But if you’re interested in any of the above issues (diversity, freedom of speech, inclusion, etc) we are about all of those things. As Canada’s first festival focused on celebrating diverse authors and stories, we are interested in building forward-focused, inclusive conversations around stories that can help us understand others, build empathy, and cultivate self-awareness. We want to engage everyone in these conversations, and encourage a love for Canadian literature that is more representative of our diverse and shared national identity. We have a lot of ways we want to do that, and more. But we can’t do any of it without your help. Your contribution to the FOLD supports events featuring diverse Canadian authors, with the ultimate goal of bringing more diverse Canadian literature into schools, households and libraries across Canada. Check out our innovative campaign here, or find us on Twitter. Make sure to use #FOLD2016 to let your supporters know about this campaign!
Happy Giving Tuesday!
Megan Lambe is the Communications and Development Coordinator for the FOLD.