Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 905, municipal workers in the Region of York, have donated $3,000 to local charities.
“Our members don’t just work for the Region; we live here and are part of the community. As such, we are also responsible for ensuring that we care for the disadvantaged in our community,” said Derek Bakshi, president of CUPE Local 905.
The local has donated $1,000 to Blessings in a Backpack (Canada), a unique program designed to support school children that do not have enough to eat on weekends. Families who struggle with hunger or who are ‘food insecure’ rely on food banks and other resources during the week, but many cannot satisfy weekend needs.
One hundred dollars feeds one child for a year. The benefits and impact are immediate — attendance and productivity soar, students report greater attentiveness and improved energy, teachers see improvements in study habits and demeanor, and parents feel relief and support for their own family. Above all, communities grow — and lives are changed.
Kids take home a backpack filled with food every Friday and return the backpack empty on Monday.
The other donation was to Newmarket’s Inn From the Cold Inc., a non-profit organization manned by trained volunteers and providing emergency food, clothing and shelter to the homeless. Since 2004, the shelter has been open five nights a week for families and individuals, plus any night when the temperature drops below -15C.
CUPE Local 905 is active in the community offering donations to charities, as well as offering a scholarship program and holding a benefit golf tournament annually.
“We will continue to contribute to the community in any manner we can to help improve the quality of life of our fellow residents,” said Bakshi.
“I know that many other CUPE locals in Ontario contribute thousands of dollars to community support agencies throughout the year,” Bakshi said.
For more information, please contact:
Derek Bakshi
President, CUPE 905
905-967-0823
416-990-8118
Wendy Forbes
CUPE Communications
416-292-3999