What a night it was…Restoring Hope was an incredible evening! I’m still on a high after last Wednesday night’s gala event. As our largest fundraising event, it is a real opportunity for Chai Lifeline Canada showcase the work we do, and put its best face forward.
This year, we made some substantial changes. First and foremost, we did our best to make the event a night of education about Chai Lifeline. We included entertainment to have a broader family friendly appeal. This resulted in more people coming to the event and learning about the life-changing work we do. Our honourees this year were not necessarily people who donated large sums of money, yet rather community members who came up with a game changing idea for the families of Chai Lifeline, and worked with us to execute them.
In fact, this past year there has been a real increase in us partnering with community members for the benefit of Chai Lifeline Canada. Aside from volunteering or helping at a fundraising event, people have hosted birthday parties for themselves or their children where they allocated all the gifts received in their honour to Chai Lifeline. Others have asked to help host an event for families in their home. Some have actually taken a “hands on” approach and helped create a special item we could deliver to people in need, such as one of a kind mom’s baskets, craft kits or cookies on a weekly basis. You don’t need to donate large sums of money to make a real impact on the families in your community.
If there was one thing I would want people to take away from Restoring Hope, it is that if you are willing to get involved we want you! I have seen countless volunteers who think they are going to help someone else and end up getting so much more in return. From learning from these special children and families to creating new relationships or business partnerships, I personally guarantee that you will get more than you give. We want to partner with you to restore hope to children and families suffering from serious illness.
Rabbi Mordechai Rothman is Executive Director of Chai Lifeline Canada.
For more information on how you can get involved or volunteer, please visit Chai Lifeline Canada online.
