Start of the charitable season begins with Giving Tuesday

WINNIPEG — After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, charities are hoping consumers will take a break from consumerism and give back to those in need.

Giving Tuesday is a global movement which looks to encourage people to give back in the lead-up to the holidays. In Canada, the hashtag #givingtuesdayCA and a website are being used to collect and encourage donations both in monetary form and time volunteerism.

While the charitable day was started in the United States back in 2012, and has been endorsed by President Barack Obama, it was CanadaHelps, a 15-year-old national charity that helped spearhead Giving Tuesday in Canada around the same time.

In Winnipeg, the United Way is hoping to top off it’s yearly fundraising campaign with the help of generous donations this December.

“We take all of our gifts from our donors and try to make the biggest possible difference in the lives of people in our city,” Connie Walker, United Way CEO & President said. “Donations go to a lot of organizations in our city. Organizations that help kids be all that they can be, helping families move out of poverty and making people feel safe in their communities.”

The charity is encouraging everyone to think about giving a little bit today to help kids and families in Winnipeg – no matter the size donation – every gift will touch someone’s life.

“We find that Winnipeggers give all year round, but somehow in December we do all pause a little bit more and  think about how can we make a difference in people’s lives and make our city a little better,” Walker said.

More than 75 per cent of the United Way’s $21.2-million goal has been reached and the organization is hoping it can reach its goal by the time the campaign wraps up in January.

The money funnels out to more than 100 organizations in Winnipeg including the group’s breakfast program and walking school bus.

“The kids know they can count on a nutritious breakfast everyday and that there will be an adult there to take them to school,” said Leah McGuinness.

McGuinness is a single mother of six children of her own and made use of the programs when she was in desperate need.

“The program helped me get my children to school when I could not… when I was at home with my babies and I suffered deeply from depression,” she said. “It helped me get off my couch, out of my house and back into society in respect with volunteering and now I am currently employed by them.”

The giving continued throughout the city on Tuesday.

Early Tuesday morning the Misericordia Angel Squad kicked off its December donation drive.

READ MORE: Winnipeg “Angel Squad” sets a Guinness World Record for largest gathering of angels

The yearly event asks Winnipeggers to donate their time each morning and become an “angel.” This year the dress-up fun celebrates the 20th year of the Angel Squad, a group of volunteers who raise funds for the Misericordia Health Centre Foundation.

The volunteers line the Maryland Bridge and gather donations from commuters driving by.

On Dec. 1 the group broke a Guinness World Record when they gathered 1,275 volunteers.

The squad will be out Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 seeking donations.

Not to be left out, the Assiniboine Park Zoo is participating in the national campaign with the goal of raising $10,000 in support of the Zoo’s Polar Bear Rescue Team.

Assiniboine Park Zoo is asking the community to help name the Zoo’s newest polar bear cubs through a ‘donate to vote’ campaign. With a donation of any size to the Polar Bear Rescue team, donors can then vote for two of four names for the cubs.

READ MORE: Orphaned polar bear cubs ready for the public at Assiniboine Park Zoo

Donations can be made online, by calling 204-927-8080 or in person at the Pavilion or the main entrance of the Zoo. The two names that receive the most votes win.

York: refers to the York Factory First Nation which has traditional lands that include important polar bear denning habitat.

Tatnam: comes from Cape Tatnam, a cape along the Hudson Bay coast and is a protected portion of Kaskatamagan Wildlife Management Area.

Eli: in honour of an Elder from the York Factory First Nation that lived and hunted in the area between the Nelson and Hayes Rivers that is part of YFFN traditional territory and polar bear denning habitat.

Aiken: refers to the river on which York Landing sits. York Landing is the settlement that the York Factory First Nation calls home.