Another $24,905 was added to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund on Wednesday, taking the total for this year’s campaign to $248,552.
And while the money keeps coming in, as we work toward our 2022 goal of $1 million, we are also putting it to work.
This week, the fund funnelled $200,000 to several local non-profits through the local chapter of the Sovereign Order of St. John. The latter group is made up of caring community leaders who, in a year in which food security has become such a dominant concern, have identified Island charities that are particularly good at getting food into the mouths of those who need it most.
We have written about this organization before, when it gave $111,000 to food banks and other community service providers including the Victoria Rainbow Kitchen and the Community First Foundation.
This is a tough year for many people. As Bob Plecas, a retired senior civil servant who leads the Victoria chapter, says, “our neighbours are suffering and the vulnerable in our community are suffering.”
The TC Christmas Fund decided to work more closely with the Sovereign order for a couple of reasons.
First, the chapter has done due diligence on the organizations it wants to help, ensuring that the money will go to the people in greatest need. Frankly, it identified deserving recipients that weren’t on our radar screen.
Second, there is nothing in this for the chapter itself. All administration costs are shared by the chapter’s members, so that every penny of the $200,000 will be put to work, in full, in a matter of days.
It can be a challenge to determine which local groups will use donations most efficiently, and we — those of us who run the TC Fund as well as the members of the Sovereign Order — are committed to making the best use of the money that has been entrusted with us.
The TC Christmas Fund is also giving to the Salvation Army, which works to get food and toys to families in need, and to the Mustard Seed Street Church. Once again, we will pick up the tab for the Mustard Seed’s Christmas meal, planned this year as a lunch at the Bay Street Armouries on Saturday, Dec. 10.
The Sovereign Order’s initial round of recipients included the Seniors Christmas Support Program, funded in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul, as well as the Victoria Cool Aid Society, 9-10 Club Soup Kitchen, Saanich Neighbourhood Place, Burnside Gorge Community Association, Living Edge Community Kitchen and Backpack Buddies.
With the help of the TC Christmas Fund, money will go to the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, Souper Meals, PORT (the Palliative Outreach Resource Team) and Seniors Serving Seniors, among other groups.
With the two organizations working together, we will be able to do much more than we could do on our own. It’s a reminder that when we work together as a community, the sky is the limit for what we can do.
Next week we will have information on more recipients of money from the TC Christmas Fund, including several north of the Malahat.
Our goal is to help make this a better season for those less fortunate throughout our coverage area.
Most of the money will go to food, but your donations also go to Christmas gifts for children and others who could use some light in their lives.
How to donate to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund
• Donate online. Go to timescolonist.com/donate, which will take you to our CanadaHelps page. It is open 24 hours a day and provides an immediate tax receipt.
• Donate by mail. Send a cheque to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund, 201-655 Tyee Road, Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5.
• Donate by phone. Use your credit card by phoning 250-995-4438 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Now matter how you donate, you will be making Christmas feel a bit warmer for your neighbours who are going through bad times.
Dave Obee is editor and publisher of the Times Colonist.
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