Cause We Care Launches 20th Annual Holiday Care Package Drive
Celebrating 20 years of caring, with 1,200 Holiday Care Packages for families in need.
Cause We Care Foundation, a Vancouver-based registered charity, is announcing the launch of its 20th Annual Holiday Campaign and Care Package Drive.
Twenty years ago, a small group of women came together to deliver Holiday Care Packages to single mothers in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. What began as a grassroots act of care has since grown into a cherished annual tradition and inspired the creation of Cause We Care Foundation. Today, the Foundation invests more than $1 million annually in programs and support services guided by its mission to empower single mothers to achieve greater economic security and build personal capacity.
“It’s remarkable to look back at how far we’ve come since that first gathering in 2006,” says Andrea Thomas Hill, Founder and Board Chair of Cause We Care Foundation. “What began as a simple act of kindness has grown into something much bigger. Through our partnerships with frontline organizations, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the challenges single mothers face and how we can help create lasting change. None of this would be possible without the extraordinary generosity of our donors, volunteers, and corporate partners.”
More than half of children living in poverty in British Columbia are growing up in lone-parent families, the vast majority led by single mothers. Rising living costs, employment inequality, food insecurity and a lack of safe, affordable housing create significant barriers to moving forward. Cause We Care helps remove these barriers through sustained year-round funding and support, creating pathways to greater economic security and long-term stability.
This year’s campaign will bring together hundreds of donors, corporate partners and volunteers to help ensure 1,200 families across the Lower Mainland receive meaningful practical and emotional support during an especially difficult time of year. Volunteers will gather on Drive Day, December 9th at Rocky Mountaineer Train Station to assemble and deliver Care Packages. Each backpack contains a $100 grocery gift card, everyday essentials, warm accessories, small treats, and a handwritten message of encouragement. More than practical assistance, each package is a reminder to mothers that they are seen, valued, and supported.
Valued support from the corporate community includes major campaign partner Herschel Supply Co., which donates 1,200 backpacks, as well as significant contributions from Aritzia, Blue Ruby Jewellery, Canucks for Kids Fund, LivingSpace and RBC Capital Markets. Capital Direct, a longstanding supporter since 2016, returns as the campaign’s matching partner, doubling donations up to $50,000.
“The holidays can be especially challenging for single mothers,” says Richard Nichols, President of Capital Direct. “By matching donations, we hope to inspire greater generosity and ease some of that pressure. For our team, it’s rewarding to see what we can accomplish together.”
To support this year’s campaign, donations can be made online at causewecare.org, with personalized holiday e-cards available for gifts made in honour of someone special. Other ways to give include shopping the Blue Ruby x Cause We Care jewellery collection, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Foundation, and gift wrapping by donation at The Cross Living in Yaletown. For more information, visit www.causewecare.org and follow @causewecarefoundation on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Cause We Care Foundation
Cause We Care is a Vancouver-based registered public foundation, founded to assist low-income single mothers and their children in need in our community. Since 2007, Cause We Care has provided support to those faced with poverty and the everyday challenges it brings through a variety of outreach and funding initiatives. www.causewecare.org