Giving Tuesday: Charities more important than ever during pandemic

Giving Tuesday is a lifeline Charities rely on generosity after a weekend of big spending, to carryon their good work. CTV's Kimberley Johnson reports.

KINGSTON, ONT. — It’s Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to encouraging people to do good deeds by giving time, money or using your talents and expertise to give back to the community.

In it’s eighth year, Giving Tuesday follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Debbie Edwards made her annual donation to Martha’s Table in Kingston.

“It kind of - not to give you a stupid phrase - but the warm fuzzies,” she laughs.

She donated $30, along with several hats and mitts to the charity.

“It’s not going to hurt me,” she says, “and it’s going to be a humongous gain for somebody else, (so) then that’s the right thing to do.”

Ronda Candy, the executive director of Martha’s Table, says the need this year is pivotal, as the charity is seeing new faces every day under the pandemic.

“They're newly unemployed,” she says. “Never, ever expected themselves to be in a line for a meal program. So, it’s particularly challenging for them.”

The Giving Tuesday campaign has gone online, encouraging Canadians to donate $10 to help two people eat for a day.

In Ottawa, Jen Murakami is working to set up a $50,000 scholarship fund for Black, Indigenous and racialized students to attend Carleton University’s social work program.

“Any donation any day is wonderful but it’s likely to be doubled today,” she explains.

The University will match online donations through their FutureFunder program.

Murakami donated $20,000 of her own money, which she made after selling her home to downsize.

“At the end of the day, I’d like to do something more than just accumulate money and leave it to my kids when I die,” she explains. “So the kids and I had discussions about what I could do around our own personal anti-racism work.”

The fund will provide a $2000 scholarship to future students for years to come.

“I hope they see a recognition of their importance. Spurs them on to do some social justice work to make a more equitable society. Their view points, their life experiences are important and are needed.”