Finding a silver lining...

The news in the past couple of days has highlighted the tough hit charities took last year. The Globe had an article in yesterday's paper and The Star had one today, based on Statistics Canada findings that charitable giving dropped overall last year though the number of donors rose. This shouldn't be a big surprise to anyone - we certainly felt the results of the downturn here at ShareLife.

While the results left us a bit deflated - we're conscious that our fundraising results can affect the critical services provided to thousands of people in need - one trend gave us real hope for the future. As we looked back at the results of the 2009 campaign, we noticed that neighbourly love is alive and well. In some of the areas hardest hit by the economic downturn, we saw some of the biggest increases in overall giving. In places where many workers were losing their jobs and experiencing increased financial and family stress, ShareLife received more support than ever before. Where help was most needed, people gave more.

This sign of hope has me moving forward in Campaign 2010 with optimism, believing that, together, we really can work wonders!