Charity of the Month

HAAM supports a charitable cause or group at each of our monthly meetings. Usually this involves collecting donations of money or needed goods, but occasionally it may consist of, or include, volunteer work.

We select a variety of organizations in order to support different needs, including food, housing/shelter, animal welfare, children’s programs, social/peer support, and environmental concerns.

Criteria for inclusion:

• Preference is given to charities active in our local community, i.e. Manitoba. However, occasionally we broaden our scope to include a national or international cause.
• Preference is given to grassroots organizations, run by small groups or individuals, that don’t have big advertising budgets.
• We try to promote fledgling or struggling groups that may not be widely known to the public.
• The charity or service must be secular; if it is associated with a religious or faith-based organization, its services must be provided without proselytization of clients.
• The activities of the charity must be evidence-based, with no inclusion of pseudo-science.

The “Charity of the Month” is always featured in our current newsletter and on our Home page. Donations can be made to HAAM and will be forwarded to the charity. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $10 or more. Contact us for further information or if you have questions.

Below is a list of organizations that HAAM has assisted in the past. If you are looking for a worthy charity to support either financially or through volunteering, perhaps this list will provide some ideas.

Animal Welfare:

Canadian Animal Blood Bank	Provides blood products for animals who require transfusions.
CARE Cat Rescue	Cat Advocacy, Rescue, and Education, focusing on stray and feral cats.
Darcy’s ARC	Dedicated to rescuing cats and dogs from situations of abandonment, homelessness, neglect and abuse.
Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery Program	Studies this endangered species and assists in re-establishing them in their former habitat.
Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre	Rehabilitates injured, sick and orphaned wildlife for their return to the wild.

Children and Youth:

Camp Wannakumbac	A non-profit residential coed camp located at Clear Lake, for campers aged 8 – 15. It has no religious affiliation.
Kidsport Manitoba	Provides support to children in order to remove financial barriers that prevent them from playing organized sport.
Ready, Set, Swim Foundation	Provides free swimming lessons to children of low-income families and newcomers to Canada.
Sistema	An inclusive after-school program of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra that uses the power of music to dramatically change the trajectory of children’s lives.
YMCA camps	Donations to the Send a Kid to Camp program provide financial assistance to families who cannot afford to pay the full camping fee.

Disadvantaged Peoples:

Christmas Cheer Board	Provides food hampers and holiday gifts to families receiving Employment Income Assistance as well as many of the working poor.
Island Lake Relief Fund	Assistance for evacuees from wildfires in northern Manitoba, who are temporarily being housed in emergency shelters.
Koats for Kids	Warm winter outerwear for needy children and families.
Main Street Project	Programming and services to meet the needs of Winnipeg’s most vulnerable residents
Ndinawe Youth Resource Centre	An immediate and reliable place of safety, connection and support for at-risk youth
North Point Douglas Women’s Centre	Promotes a safe, healthy, vibrant community for women and families providing support, training, resources, and opportunities to women in the area.
Resource Assistance for Youth	A non-profit street-level agency working with street-entrenched and homeless youth up to the age of 29.
Sage House	As a branch of Mount Carmel Clinic, Sage House provides health, outreach, and resource centre services to street-involved women, including transgender women.
Shoebox Project	Collects and distributes gifts, in the form of shoeboxes, to women in shelters.
Spence Neighbourhood Association	Creating a West End 24/7 Safe Space for youth.
Willow Place	Formerly Osborne House, this is a short term emergency shelter for women and their children who have been involved in a physically, mentally, or emotionally abusive relationship.
You Can’t Spoil a Baby	Baby supplies and gear for expectant Manitoba families in financial need

Education:

Blue Sky Opportunities	Non-profit organization supporting adults with intellectual disabilities.
Pathways to Education	Breaking the cycle of poverty through education.
U of W Opportunity Fund	Provides financial assistance to disadvantaged students.

Food Assistance:

Agape Table	Offers a variety of emergency and low-cost meal and grocery programs to assist low-income residents of Winnipeg.
Food Matters	Partners with northerners, newcomers, farmers and families to harvest, prepare and share good food.
Got Bannock?	A grassroots cause to feed the hungry, the homeless, the less fortunate on the cold streets of Winnipeg.
Lunches With Love	Supports Winnipeg’s homeless shelters by providing nutritious paper bag lunches for those in need. (Unfortunately this charity ceased operation in 2015.)
Winnipeg Harvest	A non-profit, community based organization that is a food distribution & training centre.

Health Care:

Klinic	Offers primary health care, mental health care and community health services.
Partners for Life	HAAM is a member of this Canadian Blood Services program. For information on how to participate, please click here.
SERC (Sexuality Education Resource Centre)	Community-based, pro-choice organization promoting sexual health through education.
Women’s Health Clinic	Health care, counselling, and support services for women.

National/International:

Kasese Humanist Primary School	A secular, science-based primary school for children ages 3-11, located in Uganda.
Recovering From Religion	Connecting people with support, resources, community, and most of all, hope.
Syrian Refugee Resettlement	Assistance to the BC Humanist Association to sponsor a Syrian refugee family.

Science and Environment:

Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre	This museum in Morden features the largest collection of marine reptile fossils in Canada and is involved in education and research.
Lake Winnipeg Foundation	An environmental non-governmental organization seeking solutions to ensure a clean, healthy Lake Winnipeg and watershed now and for future generations.
Nocturnal Owl Survey	Information on distribution, abundance, and population trends of Manitoba owls is required to monitor their conservation status.

Support Groups and Counselling:

Bear Clan Patrol	Community-based solution to crime prevention, based on Aboriginal philosophies and practices.
Dying With Dignity (Winnipeg Chapter)	Provides education about advance care planning, patient advocacy and support, and assistance with MAiD applications.
The Laurel Centre	Individual and group counselling for women who have experienced childhood and/or adolescent sexual abuse.
Pride Winnipeg	Annual festival celebrating the diverse community that supports or identifies with gay, lesbian, transsexual, transgender, intersex, two-spirit, and queer people.
Rainbow Resource Centre	Offers support to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Queer, Questioning and Ally (LGBTT*) population of Manitoba and North Western Ontario.
Secular Organizations for Sobriety	Helping to achieve sobriety or abstinence amongst those suffering from addictions.
Welcome Place	A program of the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council. Provides temporary housing for newly arrived refugees, and assists them with settling and integrating into Canadian society.