NEWS RELEASE
SOUTHLAKE HEALTH FOUNDATION
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“When every second counts, we need to be ready to care for our community,” says Southlake Health Foundation in their current Giving Tuesday campaign, aiming to inspire donors to support the renewal and expansion of the hospital’s emergency department.
While soliciting donations for the organization isn’t new practice over the holidays, the drive to find alternative ways for donors to give, outside of mailed donations, is, as the Canada Post strike continues.
“Holiday giving, over the months of November and December, represents a significant percentage of our annual donations,” says Lesley Ring, chief development officer at Southlake Health Foundation. “Southlake Health serves a large catchment area and as a result, our donor pool is also geographically diverse. Many donors choose to mail in their gifts from across our communities at this time of year. This disruption in postal services is extremely challenging for those donors who may not be familiar with or have access to, online ways to give. It’s concerning as those donations are urgently needed to help fund equipment, technology, and space upgrades for patients and providers at Southlake.”
Southlake Health Foundation is not alone in their concern about the ripple effects of the strike. In a statement issued by Imagine Canada, the national accreditation body and advocacy arm of Canada’s charitable sector, they stated, “A long-term postal strike will substantially hamper the sector’s fundraising results for 2024. This is happening at a time when many parts of the sector are struggling with a combination of increased operating costs, increased demand, and labour and volunteer shortages.”
Charities across York Region and Simcoe County are reaching out to their donors to communicate alternative ways to give to ensure critical needs are met as postal workers and Canada Post continue to negotiate.
“It’s our aim to find as many avenues as possible for our donors to continue to support the urgent needs of Southlake over the holiday season. It’s truly never been more important. We created a web page of options for the community to choose from and will double down on our online efforts, encouraging our donors to make important Giving Tuesday gifts in support of emergency care beginning this week,” said Jennifer Ritter, president and CEO of Southlake Health Foundation. “Despite what is happening around us, the doors to our emergency department never close, and it’s our donors that enable us to provide the necessary equipment, technology, and space our doctors, nurses, and staff need to care for our community members when they need it most.”
Southlake Health Foundation will also run pre-show advertising spots in Newmarket and Aurora Cineplex theatres in December to drive awareness about the need for improved emergency care, and to continue to inspire holiday donations to the hospital.
Those looking to make alternative arrangements to donate to Southlake Health can find more information on the foundation’s website, www.southlakefoundation.ca, can call the foundation at 905.836.7333, or visit their offices, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Medical Arts Building, Southlake Health, 581 Davis Dr., Suite 102, Newmarket, Ont., Canada, L3Y 2P6.
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