Local charity Community Living Oakville welcomed Oakville Mayor Rob Burton and CanadaHelps in order to spread the word to residents about donating to local charities this holiday season.
Community Living Oakville an organization that was started back in the 1950s by Oakville parents to help people with developmental disabilities and CanadaHelps is the largest online donation and fundraising platform.
All participants that came to the event held at Oakville Trafalgar Community Centre took part in a yoga class.
Community Living Oakville has one main goal in mind, to support those with developmental disabilities and have them be included in their communities.
"These services not only enrich the lives of those we support, but also strengthen the community by fostering inclusion and understanding," said Director of Services at Community Living Oakville Nazeem Lahashmi.
But Lahashmi acknowledged that there have been challenges over the past several decades when it comes to funding.
"Over the past 30 years, our sector has seen a less than 4% increase in base funding while the consumer price index has risen by 60%."
This is where CanadaHelps comes into the equation to help Community Living Oakville.
CanadaHelps is an online tool that can help people donate to over 30,000 different charities from their homes. With CanadaHelps helping Community Living Oakville, more people may look for the organization as a place to donate.
CanadaHelps is also asking those to help their Giving Tuesday campaign: Giving Tuesday began in 2012 in the USA and started in Canada the following year.
The event occurs annually after cyber Monday as a day to consider donating to different charities as the holiday's approach. This year's event occurs on Dec. 3, 2024.
Both Community Living Oakville and CanadaHelps have the same goal this holiday season, to give to those who need help. Which is what the holiday spirit is all about