Gifts from the Heart

Christmas is less than 100 days away. Yes, you read that correctly!

In just two short months the carols will be all over the radio stations, lights will be up on the rooftops and malls will be filled to the brim with people spending way too much money on stuff they don’t need.

Ugh malls. Doesn’t the thought of going to a crowded mall with an even more crowded parking lot seem like the last thing you want to do right about now?

This holiday season you can avoid all of that and do your shopping from the comfort of your home, in your pyjamas! No, we’re not talking about Amazon, but a different type of shopping that will make your heart feel good and help those who could use a boost this Christmas.

Gifts from the Heart is a campaign that makes gift giving easy and rewarding, while helping the residents of Haliburton County. No matter how big or how small, your donation is very much appreciated and put to good use.

Last year 7,300 healthy meals were given to people in the community, which was possible through fundraising support.

According to a social survey done by Stats Canada, 91% of donors said their reason for donating was because they felt compassion towards people in need. Other reasons cited for donating included the idea of helping a cause in which they personally believed in and wanting to make a contribution to their community.

By supporting Gifts from the Heart you are playing a part in continuing the good work done by SIRCH Community Services. You are helping those in need and supporting a cause that is worth believing in.

Now doesn’t that sound better than navigating a crowded mall parking lot?

To donate to Gifts from the Heart, click here.

We all know the feeling: It’s ten days until Christmas and there’s that one aunt, that one friend you haven’t yet found a present for. Maybe you kept looking for the perfect gift. Maybe the person is one of those people who are notoriously hard to buy for. Or maybe you’re a last-minute person and you’re still urgently looking for presents for just about everybody! Whatever your situation is, you need something good, and you need it fast.

Consider purchasing a Gift from the Heart from SIRCH Community Services. Here’s why it’s a great idea …

1. You and your recipient will be improving the lives of people in need right here in Haliburton County. Your donation will help provide nutritious meals for those most in need due to illness, poverty or critical circumstance.

2. Giving a “Gift from the Heart” is ethical giving. It is a gift that truly matters, a gift that brings with it hope and change.

3. According to an Ipsos Reid poll, 9 out of 10 Canadians feel that Christmas is becoming too commercial, and the number of people who would prefer to receive a meaningful gift that would help someone else is growing.

4. Giving an ethical gift to SIRCH is a way of giving back to your neighbours and community in the most meaningful way. Not only does SIRCH provide over 5,000 meals each year free to those in need, it provides training, supports and employment opportunities.

5. It’s quick and easy: All you have to do is go to the SIRCH website, and donate.  We’ll send you a card to give to the recipient. It will continue to remind the recipient of the good their gift is doing.

6. If the recipient is generally hard to buy for, a Gift from the Heart is a great way of making sure they’re not left out without getting them something they neither want nor need.

7. Gifts from the Heart  allows ethical giving on a local level. For example, in Haliburton County there is poverty that no one sees but that we as community members need to acknowledge and address. We need to give in our own communities.

Give a Gift from the Heart here.

Christmas … already?

The next big holiday is looming on the horizon … Christmas! Do you love everything about Christmas or do you think the commercialism is just getting over the top? Are there more people on your list who seem to have everything already? Or people you don’t really know well but have to buy a gift for (like your child’s teacher)? Or those folks who you know are going to re-gift your present at the earliest opportunity?

Buy a different kind of gift this year

89% of Canadians ‘agree’ that Christmas is becoming too commercial, and 88% ‘agree’ we need to spend more time at Christmas focusing on those who need help. And a recent Ipsos Reid poll found a staggering 74% of Canadians agree that a charitable donation made in their name instead of receiving a traditional gift makes them feel good.

Ethical giving is catching on. Ethical gifts make a difference. They bring hope, and carry power and meaning. Ethical giving at home weaves a thread of familiarity throughout the members of a community, bringing everyone closer together with the common goal of providing support to one another.

How can I make a difference here at home?

People are constantly amazed to hear that families right in our own county don’t have enough food. At SIRCH, we see families that live on less than $1,000 a month, children who eat cereal with water because their parents can’t afford milk, people who have to choose between heat and food, seniors with completely empty fridges. And the circumstances that result in hunger can happen overnight … a job loss, death of a spouse, a sick child, an injury … there are many reasons people’s circumstances change and they have to struggle. But you can help.

SIRCH started Gifts from the Heart to offer you a way to give a meaningful gift at Christmas that will impact our own community. In the past year, SIRCH has provided over 5,100 free, nutritious meals to those in need, all funded through Gifts from the Heart and other donations! Now that’s a Christmas gift — free, nutritious, home cooked meals to those in need.

To give a Gift from the Heart, click here.

What is Gifts from the Heart all about?
Since 1989 SIRCH has been working to address issues that face residents of Haliburton County. We create practical solutions to the issues that affect individuals and families in our own local community – issues like hunger, poverty, poor health, illness, grief. The focus for the 2017 Gifts from the Heart campaign is on providing food to those in need, plus training and supports so people can gain self-confidence, employment skills, and parenting capacity.

Gifts from the Heart Campaign provides:
1. a way to understand the issues facing those who benefit from our services and
2. a concrete way to contribute to the healing, health and safety of your community through your gifts to our organization.

What is ethical giving?
Ethical giving is about giving a gift that truly matters, a gift that brings with it hope and change. Ethical gifts carry power and meaning. Change your community, and change lives – with one gift. When you give a Gift from the Heart, your dollars go to provide nutritious meals, cooking skills, and employment for people in Haliburton County — and these gifts change real lives. 100% of your contribution will go directly into SIRCH programs and you’ll know that you’ve made an investment in programs that offer real solutions and not short term fixes. Your generosity is going to change lives forever.

Will you give me a gift card to send?
When you buy one of these unique gifts, we will send you a card that you can write your own message in and give to your family member, friend or colleague.

Will I get a charitable receipt?
Yes, SIRCH is a registered charity #130588767RR0001 and your gift is considered a donation. You will receive a charitable receipt for gifts of $20 or more.

Thank you for supporting Gifts from the Heart!