Giving Tuesday returns with creative local fundraisers
WATERLOO REGION — Buy a coffee in Cambridge or some tacos for lunch this Tuesday to help a local charity.
This is the fourth year of Giving Tuesday Waterloo Region, a campaign aimed at giving back to the local community as the Christmas shopping season begins.
“You can donate money or you can donate your time, there are so many ways to support a local agency,” said Giving Tuesday volunteer Kim Moore.
Moore said local organizations are really getting into the spirit of Giving Tuesday this year.
“I’m seeing some really creative partnerships and that is impressive.”
At Monigram Coffee Roasters in Cambridge, a portion of each coffee sold on Giving Tuesday will go to support the Kinsbridge Community Association.
Community Support Connections has a taco Tuesday campaign this year to help raise money for the agency’s Meals on Wheels program.
Three local taco-serving restaurants will offer customers the option to add $3.92 to their bill for lunch or dinner on Giving Tuesday — that is how much it costs to make each meal in the program affordable for those who use it. The Bruce Craft House in Cambridge, B@Themuseum in Kitchener and Taco Farm in Waterloo will all participate.
The local youth shelter, Oneroof, is asking people to donate $3.25 on Giving Tuesday, which is the cost of a single bus ticket. People can also donate a strip of tickets. The shelter’s campaign is to help give youth helped by the agency the ability to travel to medical appointments and housing opportunities.
These are just a handful of local agencies with Giving Tuesday campaigns this year. Moore said there are about 130 local organizations involved.
Giving Tuesday first started south of the border as a way to celebrate giving back right after the shopping rush of the American Thanksgiving and the following day, known as Black Friday. It started in Waterloo Region in 2015.
For a full list of participating organizations, visit the website www.givingtuesday.ca or the campaign’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GivingTuesdayWR and Twitter feed @GivingTuesdayWR.