The ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Christmas Fund’s 2024 campaign has reached $35,515, thanks to the generosity of 139 donors. Many thanks.
Our goal for this year’s campaign, which we launched on Tuesday morning, is to beat the $1.12 million we raised last year. The more money we raise, the more help we can provide.
The idea behind the fund is simple: To help people in need, at Christmas and whenever else they are looking for a helping hand.
While the fund bears the name of this newspaper, we are only a small part of what makes it work.
It all starts with you, and you — people who see the need in your community and want to help. You do that by donating to our fund.
We distribute the money raised to organizations in Greater Victoria, up Island as far as Campbell River, and on the Gulf Islands.
And the “we” part of that statement goes well beyond the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½. Volunteers from the local chapter of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller have done due diligence on dozens of community agencies, determining which ones need support and will use the money as effectively as possible.
The success of our fund is truly a team effort.
Now, an important note for those of who donate through the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½Helps portal: Be patient! Don’t press enter more often than you need to! Give the system time to confirm your donation!
Every year, we have seen duplicate donations, and there has been a flurry already this year. Some can be easy to spot — for instance, when the same person gives a second donation a minute after giving one of the same amount.
It’s not that easy to fix. If you have made a duplicate donation by accident, or want to cancel a donation for any reason, contact ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½Helps as soon as you can.
We appreciate all donations, but we know that money is tight, so be careful!
Thanks again.
Dave Obee is editor and publisher of the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½.
HOW TO DONATE
• You can donate by going to the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Christmas Fund web page, . That page links to ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½Helps, which is open 24 hours a day and provides an immediate tax receipt.
• Mail a cheque to Times Colonist Christmas Fund, 201‑655 Tyee Rd., Victoria, ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ V9A 6X5.
• You can also use your credit card by phoning 250-995-4438 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
