This Canada Day, support a great Canadian charity when you #WeartheBear.
Local charity Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives (RCRG) in partnership with sponsor Herbaland, is once again offering its signature bear facemasks for sale to fundraise to support local community initiatives.
The facemasks completely sold out when they were previously offered last winter in support of the Richmond Christmas Fund.
As a special Canada Day promotion, the $20 face masks are being offered half-price for $10 and can be purchased online.
This stylish mask features two bears and is a great way to keep yourself and your community safe and healthy while supporting a great cause.
Richmond-based Herbaland, Canada’s largest nutritional gummy manufacturer, has once again come on board to sponsor the initiative, paying for the production of the masks in their entirety, which means every dollar from the sale of the masks goes directly to helping RCRG.
“By buying a mask, you’re making a direct donation to RCRG with 100% of the proceeds going to the organization,” RCRG president and CEO Ed Gavsie says.
“To fully support Richmond’s most vulnerable residents, we count a large portion of what we’re able to do because we get community support and donations.”
RCRG’s core mission is to encourage and facilitate local philanthropy, working every day to ensure that Richmond’s charitable sector has the resources it needs to make a meaningful impact in the community.
In addition to being a hub for volunteering and giving, RCRG is also a direct service provider, operating a Child Care Resource & Referral Centre, the Richmond Christmas Fund, and a wide range of Seniors Community Support Services, among other programs.
“This fundraiser supports the most vulnerable residents in Richmond,” Gavsie says.
When you make a donation by buying a facemask, these are the programs you’re supporting:
Seniors Community Support Services
“Because we’re here, seniors stay independent longer,” Gavsie says.
The pandemic has been especially hard on older adults, who while isolating at home to stay safe have been cut off from their typical support systems. RCRG has stepped in to fill those gaps to keep seniors healthy, independent and socially connected.
RCRG’s grocery shopping service has been used by hundreds of Richmond seniors who depend on it for both food and household essentials.
RCRG has also begun offering free rides to seniors for vaccination appointments, helping safely transporting seniors to get their COVID-19 vaccines.
Child Care Resources
Safe, reliable childcare has taken on even greater importance during the pandemic.
The Richmond Child Care Resource & Referral Centre (CCRR) has been there to help. For parents, it offers a free child care referral service, runs a variety of educational playgroups, and shares information and resources on choosing quality child care.
During the pandemic, they maintained a database of resources for frontline workers, helping find childcare to support them when they were needed elsewhere.
For childcare providers, the CCRR offers support and guidance in addition to hosting a wide range of professional development opportunities and operating the Richmond Early Years Library, which features an ever-growing collection of educational resources.
Richmond Christmas Fund
“Because we’re here, everyone can celebrate in the spirit of the holidays,” Gavsie says.
Each year, RCRG works with hundreds of volunteers, donors, and supporters to provide community members in need with grocery vouchers, toys, books, and gift cards so they can experience a magical holiday celebration.
While the 2020 Christmas Fund activities had to pivot to go virtual, RCRG still helped 2,866 people.
The organization distributed over 6,000 toys, all of which were hand-selected and individually packaged for Christmas Fund families. They also gave out over $120,000 in gift cards.
To buy your own #WeartheBear mask online, visit www.wearthebear.ca.
