Christmas Eve drawing to benefit farmers’ mental health

Kingsbury resident Audrey Morneau loves to fundraise, and has turned her eye to the cause of mental health for farmers in this challenging year. Along with a small group of friends, she is currently days away from the end of a drawing to benefit Au Coeur des Famille Agricoles, the local organization that offers support for agricultural workers in need.

“They come and help farmers in psychological distress,” Morneau said, explaining that this is not the first time that she has worked to support this organization, whose mission is so significant to the rural community. “You don’t know who’s going to need help down the line,” she added. “Will it be my family, my friends, my neighbour? No one is invincible.”

The fundraiser shared that she had already been in the process of planning a charity hockey tournament for the cause back in March when COVID closed down the world, but she came back to the idea with a different kind of fundraiser later in the year when it became clear that the pandemic was just making the situation worse for farmers in the region.

“The need for this kind of service is increasing,” Morneau said.

So far, the current fundraiser has managed to sell more than 300 tickets for a virtual draw, raising over $2,500 in the process. Looking ahead to the drawing on Dec. 24, the organizer said that she is not aiming for any particular goal, but instead just trying to build as much support as possible within the community.

“I always tell myself I will raise whatever money comes in,” she said, adding that she also took the approach of paying for the two main prizes, stays in Quebec hotels, out of pocket before connecting with sponsors to try to recoup the costs.

Anyone interested in participating in Morneau’s drawing is invited to reach out to her by phone at 819.437.009 or by email via audrey.morneau@ mail.mcgill.ca.