Donate to Causes You're Passionate About

Kindness is contagiousWritten by: Shaowda Salehin, Hanbi Lee, Reya Siby

Photo by: United Nations on Unsplash

There are charities and NGO’s all around the world that depend on the donations of generous volunteers to make the significant and necessary changes for the undervalued, neglected and unseen populations. This year has been incredibly challenging for some of the charities we grew up learning about and supporting, so we took it upon ourselves to think about them during the holidays and give to the causes that we are passionate about.

These are organizations that we have donated to, and are passionate about helping:

1. WWF: 

WWF (World Wildlife Fund), the largest animal conservation organization, is one of the charities that I grew up with very closely, it was a part of my schooling experience and a very enjoyable part of learning. Every year in grade school, from kindergarten to 4th grade, representatives from WWF would visit our school and educate us in assemblies on animals that were endangered and in need of our help. animal, whatever happens to our world, undoubtedly impacts us and with grave consequence. On one special visit from WWF, when I was 8 years old, we were assigned animals to research and present to the class. My chosen animal was a snow leopard and I remember becoming engrossed with the beautiful cat that was declining in numbers so rapidly that their population would be half by the next decade. Without much understanding of the world I lived in, at that young age I realized that I had a deep passion for helping keep these incredible animals alive.

This winter I adopted a snow leopard through WWF to fulfill the ambitions I had as a young child to do my part in saving our planet. I hope we can create a bright and sustainable future for our future children and grandchildren. I am inspired to teach them to be compassionate to all living things, because our relationship to the environment is imperative to the survival of our species.

2. George Hull Centre for Children and Families:

The George Hull Centre for Children and Families is centred in Etobicoke and offers a full spectrum of mental health services to children and youth from ages 0-18. Through clinical excellence and mental health services, they aim to reduce the suffering these young people experience, and improve their quality of life. They provide family centered care because they believe mental health affects us all; they believe that a child’s best chance at mental wellness happens when the family is positively involved in that outcome. This centre advocates for mental health of young children and their families, and is truly a cause worth donating to.

3. Pencils of Promise:

Pencils of Promise (PoP) is an organization that builds schools, supports students, trains teachers, and funds scholarships. It all began when the founder, Adam Braun, asked a little boy on the streets of India what he wanted the most. The little boy replied with, “A pencil”. What makes PoP different from other organizations is that it is guided by a “for-purpose” approach with the heart of a “non-profit”. What this means is that, PoP thoroughly measures the return on investment for every donor dollar spent and ensures that every dollar achieves a result. 100% of the money donated is spent on creating more education programs for children. PoP doesn’t just build a school and move on, they continuously make sure that every child is getting the education they deserve. This charity also works with local communities to tailor the education programs and school curriculum for the children within the community. So far, PoP has built 535 schools, supported 2,165 teachers, and impacted 110,380 students in Ghana, Guatemala, and Laos. I strongly believe that no child should be restricted by situational factors that they can’t control and have no education as a result. With education, children can have an infinite amount of positive outcomes for their future and it can help them fulfil their dreams. So donate to PoP to create more schools as well as to support more teachers and students around the world.

4. Indspire:

Indspire is an Indigenous national charity that focuses on the education of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families, and their communities. They serve First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students in remote communities, rural areas and urban centres all across Canada. With the help from donations and other partners,they are able to give out financial awards, deliver programs, and share resources all with the goal of increasing graduation rates for Indigenous students.

 


Published on