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Giving Tuesday

We are incredibly lucky. This is the sentiment that has come up countless times in our conversations over the last little while. With the state of the world right now, and the hardships faced by so many abroad and in our own community, we feel extremely blessed. And today, we’re thrilled to give back.

Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the biggest shopping weekend of the year, Giving Tuesday hopes to inspire us all to celebrate generosity and to give to causes that we are passionate about. We’ve participated in the movement in the past and are excited to participate in an even bigger way this year.

One of our amazing sponsors, TELUS, is running an incredible campaign for Giving Tuesday. They want Canadians to go on Twitter and Facebook and tell them how they’re giving back today, using the hashtag #givingtuesday. The coolest part? They will be selecting someone and donating $5000 on their behalf to the charity of their choice!

TELUS also generously offered to support a charity of our choice. We have had many discussions on ways we can lend a hand to the refugee crisis, specifically in our own community. Carleton University, our alma mater, is raising funds to support young refugees (from Syria or other regions in crisis) who wish to further their education by bringing them to campus and providing housing, resources and tuition. We feel that our time spent at Carleton helped shape us into the people that we are today and we couldn’t think of a better place for a young refugee to start a new life in Canada. Thanks to TELUS, a $1000 donation has been made to the program from inanutshell.ca and we are THRILLED. Carleton is also supporting Giving Tuesday by matching 50 cents to every dollar raised today, meaning that our contribution will actually be $1,500! For more information on the WUSC bursary for Student Refugees, please visit their website.

In the spirit of giving, we’re asking all of our readers to dig deep today and support a cause that is meaningful to them… and of course, tell TELUS about it!

Looking for some ideas? Here are some charitable causes we love within our community that could use your support…

1. The Shoebox Project

The Shoebox Project wants to brighten the days of women living in our country’s shelters and let them know that their community cares about them. The Shoebox Project collects and distributes gifts, in the form of shoeboxes, to women in shelters across the United States and Canada. In doing so, the project hopes to promote a deeper understanding of abuse, poverty and mental illness – all factors contributing to women’s homelessness in North America. The shoeboxes are wrapped and filled with both basic necessities, gift cards and little luxuries to help these women feel confident and special during trying times. Each shoebox should be filled with items valued at $50 that any women is likely to enjoy, but may not splurge on for herself. Please see their website on tips for how to build your own shoebox or provide a monetary donation to support this cause. Their goal is to collect 2,000 shoeboxes by December 13.

The Shoebox Project

2. Angel Tree Initiative

Run by The Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, the Angel Tree initiative wants to make sure that every child experiences the magic of the season and help Santa find his way to more than 2,000 children and youth (ages 6-13) this Christmas. Please visit their website for further details, drop off locations or to make a monetary donation towards the initiative. Their goal is to collect 2,000 gifts by December 9.

Boys and Girls Club Ottawa

3. Be a Paw Hero

The Ottawa Humane Society is always looking for donations from the public to help rescue, reunite and re-home animals in our community who have nowhere to go. There are lots of heartwarming gift options available, like rescuing injured and homeless animals, providing visits to isolated seniors and providing humane education sessions to schools in our community. Plus, for Giving Tuesday, every donation made to the OHS will be boosted by $10! Please visit their website for more information on how you can help the Ottawa’s most vulnerable animals.

Ottawa Humane Society

No matter what cause you choose to support, make sure to let TELUS know today on Facebook and Twitter! We want to send a special thanks to them for their continued support of us, our blog and the causes that are near and dear to our hearts. Their generosity has overwhelmed us and we are so thrilled. Happy Giving Tuesday!

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