The Canada Post strike is having unintended consequences for charities and non-profits who use mailouts for their holiday fundraisers.
The Sudbury Food Bank’s Christmas Give campaign, which brought in $450,000 in donated funds last year, is on hold due to the postal strike.
Food Bank Executive Director Dan Xilon told Sudbury.com that under normal circumstances the Christmas Give campaign mailout would be sent to approximately 80,000 people in Greater Sudbury.
The campaign invites recipients of the mailer to donate to the food bank through the mail and each mailout includes an envelope for people to mail back their donation. The holiday fundraising is usually enough to fund the Sudbury Food Bank from January to June each year.
But the campaign can’t proceed at the moment as around 55,000 Canada Post employees have been on strike since Nov. 15.
Xilon is worried how the strike will impact the food bank’s donations. The food stores the facility is able to purchase in the first six months of the year is funded by the Christmas Give campaign, he said.
“Most of the dollars that we use to run the food bank from January until June, come in through the Christmas Give,” he said, that’s money the facility relies “on to put food on people's tables.”
As he often notes, Xilon said that monetary donations are more helpful than food donations, though both are accepted and needed.
“Because we can buy more food than anybody else can for the dollar just because of the connections with Feed Ontario and Food Banks Canada, and our connections with all the suppliers, which are direct connections,” said Xilon.
The lack of availability of funds and food will have far-reaching consequences in the city, said Xilon, as the Sudbury Food Bank supports 39 agencies in Sudbury, including the Blue Door Soup Kitchen, the Elgin Street Mission and YWCA Genevra House.
If there is an organization you normally donate to this time of year, perhaps reach out to them and find out the best way to do so, given the situation with Canada Post.
For the Sudbury Food Bank, you can donate securely online here, or you can drop off your donation at their 1105 Webbwood Drive location (off Lorne) Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Xilon said he recognizes that this is extra effort at a time when most people are busier than ever, but said those who would like a meal this holiday season will appreciate all your effort.
Jenny Lamothe covers vulnerable and marginalized communities for Sudbury.com