Internationally, Make-A-Wish is the largest wish-granting organization, making wishes come true for more than 480,000 children since 1980.
When Children are battling a critical illness, so much of a normal childhood is taken away from them; it is exhausting, both emotionally and physically. A Wish is something that gives kids the opportunity to look outside their illness, it restores a sense of childhood back to the child and normalcy back to the family.
Emmanuel House Hospice was chosen by our Marketing Assistant, Stephanie Badour. During a difficult time for her and her family, her Nana stayed at Emmanuel House where she received excellent care and support. “I spend everyday and some nights at Emmanuel house for just over a month, and they treated us like family. No request was an annoyance, or too much. My Nana was treated with respect and compassion until her last breath. Nothing but appreciation and love for Emmanuel House Hospice. I also want to thank Carson Law for putting this incentive into place and having the staff feel so connected to something during the Holiday season.”
Our tenth day of giving is dedicated to Make-A-Wish Canada, chosen by our former Business Development and Marketing Assistant, Lisa Skipton. Lisa has seen the magic and difference that Make-A-Wish Canada can truly have. In high school, Make-A-Wish Canada helped her best friend’s wishes come true before she passed away, and Lisa can agree that this experience had helped her friend in fighting her disease for longer than doctors anticipated.
Our ninth day of giving was chosen by our Law Clerk, Joshua Goetz. He chose the Hamilton Foundation for Student Success by seeing first hand how too many children were going to school without lunches. With this program, no child has to feel embarrassed to ask for food or remain hungry. The Hamilton Foundation for Student Success provides lunches for these children in need. Any child going to school should have proper nutrition to aid in proper learning, and should never have a hungry belly. Thank you Joshua and thank you Hamilton Foundation for Student Success.
Our eighth day of giving has been chosen by our Business Development and Operations Manager, Chad Blundy. Unfortunately, cancer has been something that has impacted a number of Chad’s family members, in various ways. He has lost loved ones much too early as a result of this disease, and there are many important people in his life, both friends and family, who continue to fight. Recently, Chad’s aunt, Judy Kelly, was diagnosed with cancer and will require a full hysterectomy. Chad has selected Ovarian Cancer Canada since it supports the latest version of cancer to directly affect his family. “I am proud in knowing that my aunt will put up a strong fight, and I am also proud to work for a firm that will make a contribution to support her recovery … I encourage anyone and everyone to get to know all of the charities that the Carson Law staff have chosen and consider donating to whichever one they feel strongly about.”
*A donation to Ovarian Cancer Canada has been made in honour of Judy Kelly.*
These wonderful charities were chosen by two of our Law Clerks, Lisa Esposto and Rachel Melia, and our Administrative Assistant, Jan Christmas. All three of the lovely ladies have such passion for those who cannot care for themselves. From not wanting to see strays on the street, to adopting from these shelters themselves, they focus on those who give us unconditional love and who also need our support this time of year. “Love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man” - Charles Darwin
For our sixth day of giving, we will be donating to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society! This charity was chosen by our receptionist and brand ambassador, Kayla Wagstaff. She feels strongly about the work that CPAW does and hopes to preserve this country, that we are fortunate enough to call home, for future generations to cherish and enjoy. For over 50 years, CPAWS has been the only charity of its kind solely dedicated to protecting and preserving Canadian ecosystems and we hope they can continue on for many more years to come. Thank you Kayla and thank you CPAWS. “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven't spent the night with a mosquito.” – Dalai Lama
The Heart and Stroke's vision is a simple one... to see that Canadians live healthy lives, free of heart disease and stroke. Heart and Stroke’s selection as our Day 5 charity has been made by three of our caring staff; our real estate manager, Julie Saliba, our financial clerk, Joanne Stross, and our newest team member, our office administrator and client relations, Hilary Nixon. They all feel strongly about the work that Heart and Stroke does and have been personally affected by this life threatening disease. The hope is that one day there will be no more stroke victims.
Our second day of giving is dedicated to Kidney Cancer Canada. This charity was chosen by our Real Estate Clerk, Courtney Holland. Courtney’s mother was recently diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. Kidney Cancer Canada was able to help Courtney and her family in a time of unknowns with information and avenues for support. We thank Kidney Cancer Cancer for their caring and support to thousands of Canadians and thank you Courtney for bringing this charity into our lives.
Our first day of giving was chosen by one of our law clerks, Denise Crockford. Denise loves all things horses so no surprise that this is her second year choosing this charity. Big Red is why Denise is so fond of this rescue. She was able to see first hand the care for him, the dedication of the volunteers, and how a rescue can be transformed into a confident animal within a short period of time. Thank you Denise and thank you Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue for all your hard work and dedication!
Carson Law is proud to continue with an initiative that first took place last Holiday season with great success! Friday, December 13 will mark the beginning of our 12 Days of Giving.
Staff members have been asked to select a charity that each of them feels strongly about. From this list, we will donate to one or more charities each day running from December 13 to December 24. During this time, we will post which charities are selected daily and why they are important to us.
We welcome you to check in with us regularly, hear our stories, take stock in what is important at this time of year, and reflect on your own schedule of giving. Also, accompanying each post will be a verse to a song, sung to the tune of (you guessed it) 12 days of Christmas. On December 25, we will be able to sing this song from start to finish.
From all of us at Carson Law, we wish you nothing but joy and good cheer for this giving season.
DAY 1
On the first day of giving, my law form gave to me, Hope for the Horses.
Day 2
On the second day of giving, my law firm gave to me, Kindness to Kidneys
Day 3
On the third day of giving, my law firm gave to me, Making a difference for Mental Health.
Day 4
On the fourth day of giving, my law firm gave to me, A donation to the Cancer Society.
Day 5
On the fifth day of giving, my law firm gave to me, Help for Heart & Stroke.
Day 6
On the sixth day of giving, my law firm gave to me, Room for Nature.
Day 7
On the seventh day of giving, my law firm gave to me, A helping hand for the Animals.
Day 8
On the eighth day of giving, my law firm gave to me, End to Ovarian Cancer.
Day 9
On the ninth day of giving, my law firm gave to me, A place to help Children.
Day 10
On the tenth day of giving, my law firm gave to me, Wishes for Children.
Day 11
On the eleventh day of giving, my law firm gave to me, A place to turn to.
Day 12
On the twelfth day of giving, my law firm gave to me, Relief from hunger.
Recently, our law firm went through the process of performing individual employee reviews. While these did include a work-related performance component, the majority of the time was spent focusing on our staff’s motivations, life goals, concerns, and paths to fulfillment. We want our people to know that their well-being is paramount to anything else we pursue as a firm.
The Bell Let’s Talk initiative was started in 2010 with the goal of establishing a public dialogue about mental health issues and breaking down the inaccurate stigma that mental illness is a weakness and not the medical condition needing treatment that it is (Sick Not Weak). To date, Bell’s donations to mental health programs have totaled over $93.4 million and climbing.
On the twelfth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
helping a hospice.
We have made it to the end of our twelve days of giving initiative, and we want to thank all of those who have followed along with us to learn about some worthwhile charities as well as why they are important to our staff. Up to this point, we have heard about many great causes working to help save lives or make things better for the future. The Ian Anderson House is a little different, because families who end up there are unfortunately faced with the impending loss of a loved one. The Ian Anderson House has been selected by our Operations & Business Development Manager, Chad Blundy, as in January 2014 Chad and his family suffered a significant event when his father lost his battle with colon cancer. His final days were spent at IAH, and words cannot express the gratitude that Chad’s family has for the facility’s medical staff and volunteers. The compassion, care, respect, and dignity that was provided certainly helped ease what was a difficult and gut-wrenching experience. The fact that IAH provides its services completely free-of-charge to six patients at a time, and grants families full access to the entire house at all hours of the day is a tremendously selfless operation.
On the eleventh day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
Counsel and support.
ADAPT is a non-profit and community-based agency in the Halton Region that assesses and provides treatment for addiction on an outpatient basis. This charity has been selected by one of our administrative assistants, Jan Christmas, as she has been witness to both the horrors that come with addiction and abuse, as well as the redemption that can be brought with proper and effective intervention. In Jan's own words, "I have chosen this charity as this organization has made a significant impact in the life of someone very dear to me who has been going through some very dark times. The counselors at ADAPT are providing the tools to help this person make significant change in their life … giving them hope for a brighter future. I believe they likely have a made a huge impact in the lives of many members of our community, both youth and adult. I’m sure they would be very grateful for any donation received.”
On the tenth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
wilderness protection.
CPAWS considers itself a pretty unique charitable organization, and for good reason. For over 50 years, not only has the society been dedicated to protecting and preserving Canadian ecosystems, it has also been the only charity in the whole country to be solely focused on this specific endeavor. During this time, CPAWS has played an important role in protecting over half a million square kilometers of public land, water, and parks… equivalent to a space roughly larger than the Yukon Territory. Our receptionist and brand ambassador, Kayla Wagstaff, is very passionate about this cause and feels that the time to act is now, while the subject of climate change is a daily hot button issue in politics and the media. There needs to be a voice of strength and reason, and CPAWS has been volunteering to be that voice for over half a century.
On the ninth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
places to stay.
RMHC Toronto’s goal is to provide a warm and welcome place for sick children and their families to stay together while undergoing, often painful, treatment. Established in 1981, RMHC Toronto was the first Ronald McDonald House set up in Canada and is still the largest one in the country. It consists of a house large enough to accommodate 81 families and includes extensive facilities such as a state-of-the-art kitchen and laundry, both open 24 hours a day, a clubhouse/sports/activity area, family den, business centre, library, and media/movie room.
Today’s charity has been suggested by one of our lawyers, Spencer Cuddy. Spencer has been familiar with Ronald McDonald House Charities since his high school made it the focus of their fundraising efforts. Since then, he has been impressed with the work that they do and feels that their mission is an admirable and important one. We couldn’t agree more.
On the eighth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
Food for the hungry.
There have been plenty of charities on our list so far that have set their sights on the honourable, yet daunting, task of discovering a medical breakthrough that will cure some serious illnesses. Today’s selection may not have such grandiose aspirations as a national organization, but its presence is just as important and impact is just as large to those that it services.
Recently, Jim and his wife Joan acquired a home in Prince Edward County to give them an opportunity to escape the rigours of city life from time to time. They have enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of the community, connecting with people, and making new friends. One way to build relationships in a new neighbourhood is to get involved in local causes, and that is what Jim is doing by supporting the Wellington & District Foodbank Storehouse.
On the seventh day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
Alzheimer assistance.
Established in 1978, the Alzheimer Society was actually the first organization of its kind in the entire world. With only $100 as an initial deposit in to the group’s bank account, forty-five people attended the inaugural meeting. Today, more than $53 million has been invested in research through society programs, and over 25,000 Canadians participated in the Walk for Alzheimer's fundraising event in 2017. Shannon Hussey, one of our administrative assistants, has identified this charity as the one she supports due to her family being intimately familiar with the effects of Alzheimer's. 1 in 5 Canadians have experienced or or currently responsible for caring for someone who is living with a form of dementia, and 87% of those caregivers wish that more people understood the realties of the responsibilities required to fill that role. Unfortunately, 1 in 4 Canadians admit that they would feel ashamed or embarassed if they were diagnosed with dementia. This stimga surrounding these types of diseases needs to change if there is to be any hope of getting proper help to those suffering.
On the sixth day of giving, my law firm gave to me,
Light for The Way.
This charity has been recommended by one of our real estate clerks, Courtney Holland, as the United Way Centraide’s activities and services hold special meaning for her. She has volunteered for the United Way in the past and has witnessed first-hand how local organizations connect with people within their communities and tailor their programming. She has also seen the good that comes from those programs and the strength that is built when assistance is passed from one person to another. As each local organization is operated independently, Courtney has asked that our donation be directed towards the United Way’s Halton and Hamilton branch.