Internationally, Make-A-Wish is the largest wish-granting organization, making wishes come true for more than 480,000 children since 1980.
When Children are battling a critical illness, so much of a normal childhood is taken away from them; it is exhausting, both emotionally and physically. A Wish is something that gives kids the opportunity to look outside their illness, it restores a sense of childhood back to the child and normalcy back to the family.
Emmanuel House Hospice was chosen by our Marketing Assistant, Stephanie Badour. During a difficult time for her and her family, her Nana stayed at Emmanuel House where she received excellent care and support. “I spend everyday and some nights at Emmanuel house for just over a month, and they treated us like family. No request was an annoyance, or too much. My Nana was treated with respect and compassion until her last breath. Nothing but appreciation and love for Emmanuel House Hospice. I also want to thank Carson Law for putting this incentive into place and having the staff feel so connected to something during the Holiday season.”
Our tenth day of giving is dedicated to Make-A-Wish Canada, chosen by our former Business Development and Marketing Assistant, Lisa Skipton. Lisa has seen the magic and difference that Make-A-Wish Canada can truly have. In high school, Make-A-Wish Canada helped her best friend’s wishes come true before she passed away, and Lisa can agree that this experience had helped her friend in fighting her disease for longer than doctors anticipated.
Our ninth day of giving was chosen by our Law Clerk, Joshua Goetz. He chose the Hamilton Foundation for Student Success by seeing first hand how too many children were going to school without lunches. With this program, no child has to feel embarrassed to ask for food or remain hungry. The Hamilton Foundation for Student Success provides lunches for these children in need. Any child going to school should have proper nutrition to aid in proper learning, and should never have a hungry belly. Thank you Joshua and thank you Hamilton Foundation for Student Success.
For our sixth day of giving, we will be donating to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society! This charity was chosen by our receptionist and brand ambassador, Kayla Wagstaff. She feels strongly about the work that CPAW does and hopes to preserve this country, that we are fortunate enough to call home, for future generations to cherish and enjoy. For over 50 years, CPAWS has been the only charity of its kind solely dedicated to protecting and preserving Canadian ecosystems and we hope they can continue on for many more years to come. Thank you Kayla and thank you CPAWS. “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven't spent the night with a mosquito.” – Dalai Lama
The Heart and Stroke's vision is a simple one... to see that Canadians live healthy lives, free of heart disease and stroke. Heart and Stroke’s selection as our Day 5 charity has been made by three of our caring staff; our real estate manager, Julie Saliba, our financial clerk, Joanne Stross, and our newest team member, our office administrator and client relations, Hilary Nixon. They all feel strongly about the work that Heart and Stroke does and have been personally affected by this life threatening disease. The hope is that one day there will be no more stroke victims.
The Canadian Cancer Society has been chosen by one of our Lawyers, Erika Warren. Erika has chosen this charity because a number of her relatives, both recent and over the course of her life, have passed away from different forms of cancer. Erika hopes that by donating to the Canadian Cancer Society, it might help them in their research towards finding a cure.
Our second day of giving is dedicated to Kidney Cancer Canada. This charity was chosen by our Real Estate Clerk, Courtney Holland. Courtney’s mother was recently diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. Kidney Cancer Canada was able to help Courtney and her family in a time of unknowns with information and avenues for support. We thank Kidney Cancer Cancer for their caring and support to thousands of Canadians and thank you Courtney for bringing this charity into our lives.
Our first day of giving was chosen by one of our law clerks, Denise Crockford. Denise loves all things horses so no surprise that this is her second year choosing this charity. Big Red is why Denise is so fond of this rescue. She was able to see first hand the care for him, the dedication of the volunteers, and how a rescue can be transformed into a confident animal within a short period of time. Thank you Denise and thank you Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue for all your hard work and dedication!
On the twelfth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
helping a hospice.
We have made it to the end of our twelve days of giving initiative, and we want to thank all of those who have followed along with us to learn about some worthwhile charities as well as why they are important to our staff. Up to this point, we have heard about many great causes working to help save lives or make things better for the future. The Ian Anderson House is a little different, because families who end up there are unfortunately faced with the impending loss of a loved one. The Ian Anderson House has been selected by our Operations & Business Development Manager, Chad Blundy, as in January 2014 Chad and his family suffered a significant event when his father lost his battle with colon cancer. His final days were spent at IAH, and words cannot express the gratitude that Chad’s family has for the facility’s medical staff and volunteers. The compassion, care, respect, and dignity that was provided certainly helped ease what was a difficult and gut-wrenching experience. The fact that IAH provides its services completely free-of-charge to six patients at a time, and grants families full access to the entire house at all hours of the day is a tremendously selfless operation.
On the eleventh day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
Counsel and support.
ADAPT is a non-profit and community-based agency in the Halton Region that assesses and provides treatment for addiction on an outpatient basis. This charity has been selected by one of our administrative assistants, Jan Christmas, as she has been witness to both the horrors that come with addiction and abuse, as well as the redemption that can be brought with proper and effective intervention. In Jan's own words, "I have chosen this charity as this organization has made a significant impact in the life of someone very dear to me who has been going through some very dark times. The counselors at ADAPT are providing the tools to help this person make significant change in their life … giving them hope for a brighter future. I believe they likely have a made a huge impact in the lives of many members of our community, both youth and adult. I’m sure they would be very grateful for any donation received.”
On the tenth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
wilderness protection.
CPAWS considers itself a pretty unique charitable organization, and for good reason. For over 50 years, not only has the society been dedicated to protecting and preserving Canadian ecosystems, it has also been the only charity in the whole country to be solely focused on this specific endeavor. During this time, CPAWS has played an important role in protecting over half a million square kilometers of public land, water, and parks… equivalent to a space roughly larger than the Yukon Territory. Our receptionist and brand ambassador, Kayla Wagstaff, is very passionate about this cause and feels that the time to act is now, while the subject of climate change is a daily hot button issue in politics and the media. There needs to be a voice of strength and reason, and CPAWS has been volunteering to be that voice for over half a century.
On the ninth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
places to stay.
RMHC Toronto’s goal is to provide a warm and welcome place for sick children and their families to stay together while undergoing, often painful, treatment. Established in 1981, RMHC Toronto was the first Ronald McDonald House set up in Canada and is still the largest one in the country. It consists of a house large enough to accommodate 81 families and includes extensive facilities such as a state-of-the-art kitchen and laundry, both open 24 hours a day, a clubhouse/sports/activity area, family den, business centre, library, and media/movie room.
Today’s charity has been suggested by one of our lawyers, Spencer Cuddy. Spencer has been familiar with Ronald McDonald House Charities since his high school made it the focus of their fundraising efforts. Since then, he has been impressed with the work that they do and feels that their mission is an admirable and important one. We couldn’t agree more.
On the eighth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
Food for the hungry.
There have been plenty of charities on our list so far that have set their sights on the honourable, yet daunting, task of discovering a medical breakthrough that will cure some serious illnesses. Today’s selection may not have such grandiose aspirations as a national organization, but its presence is just as important and impact is just as large to those that it services.
Recently, Jim and his wife Joan acquired a home in Prince Edward County to give them an opportunity to escape the rigours of city life from time to time. They have enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of the community, connecting with people, and making new friends. One way to build relationships in a new neighbourhood is to get involved in local causes, and that is what Jim is doing by supporting the Wellington & District Foodbank Storehouse.
On the sixth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
Light for The Way.
This charity has been recommended by one of our real estate clerks, Courtney Holland, as the United Way Centraide’s activities and services hold special meaning for her. She has volunteered for the United Way in the past and has witnessed first-hand how local organizations connect with people within their communities and tailor their programming. She has also seen the good that comes from those programs and the strength that is built when assistance is passed from one person to another. As each local organization is operated independently, Courtney has asked that our donation be directed towards the United Way’s Halton and Hamilton branch.
On the fifth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
Help for Heart and Stroke.
The Heart and Stroke's vision is a simple one... to see that Canadians live healthy lives, free of heart disease and stroke. As with our Day 4 pick, Heart and Stroke’s selection as our Day 5 charity has been made by two of our caring staff; our real estate manager, Julie Saliba, and our financial clerk, Joanne Stross. Like with some of our other staff and their choices, they both feel strongly about the work that Heart and Stroke is doing because each of their families have been directly impacted by heart disease. Since 1952, the foundation has invested $1.52 billion in research, the heart disease and stroke death rate has declined by 75%, and 800 researchers are currently being funded.
On the fourth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
Wishes for children.
This is an extra special selection for our fourth day of giving as two of our staff members have identified Make-a-Wish Canada as their charity of choice. Warren Gilmore, one of our real estate clerks, and Lisa Skipton, from our operations and business development department, both view the idea of making dreams a reality for a child who might need a reason to smile as a very worthwhile cause. In Lisa’s own words “I have seen first hand how bringing happiness to someone with a serious illness can inspire them to fight against their disease or condition. Make-a-Wish Canada has specifically helped a member of my family, and I am proud that the place where I work is willing to provide support to something I feel strongly about."
On the third day of giving, my law firm gave to me;
Support for Sick Kids.
While SickKids is leading the fight to save lives and provide world-class care, sometimes one’s best efforts are limited by the tools at their disposal. The building that the hospital occupies is 70 years old and in need of some serious upgrades, just to bring certain areas up to code. Erika Warren, our law student who has recently passed her licensing exam (more on that later), has made SickKids her choice for our giving initiative, and we couldn’t agree with her more. There have been other staff members who’s kids have had to take advantage of the great work the hospital is doing, so this selection hits close to home.
On the second day of giving, my law firm gave to me; Hope for the horses.
For our second day of giving, we are happy to be supporting the Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue, located in Hagersville, Ontario, and we thank Denise Crockford, one of our law clerks, for suggesting this charity. Anyone who knows Denise understands that her heart is as big as… well… a horse! She loves everything country and has been spending her weekends helping at WHHR. In her own words, "The eyes on those innocent beauties are very telling about how thankful they are to be in a safe place". Thank-you Denise.
On the first day of giving, my law firm gave to me, a donation to the Cancer Society.
There are many foundations working hard to battle this nondiscriminatory disease, but the Canadian Cancer Society has been recommended by one of our legal assistants, Lisa Esposto, as being one particular organization that has had an impact in her life. Lisa and her family have used the society’s support and services in the past, and we are happy to contribute to them on her behalf.