The Snowsuit Fund is an Ottawa-based charity that raises funds for the purchase and distribution of new, quality made snowsuits to needy children, 15 years and under, in our community. We are just one social organization working to deal with the consequences of poverty in our region. But like so many of our sister organizations, the demand for our services continues to grow. In a typical season, we distribute approximately 16,000 new snowsuits to qualifying families. Countless other families simply in need of a helping hand benefit from our freely available collection of gently used winter outerwear.
We acknowledge with gratitude the leadership of our founding members, Joan Gullen and Ralph G. Tannis who, 40 years ago, saw a need in our community and rallied support from businesses and individuals to bring their passion for change to fruition.
In our 40 years of operation, together we have managed to meet the ongoing challenge of keeping marginalized kids warm during our cold winters. We have also brought dignity and hope to families who simply do not have the means to provide their children with the necessities for living. The benefits of our service are far-reaching for both individuals and our community as a whole. Although we hope to one day close our doors for good, we realize that in the short term, we must continue to ensure that no child is left out in the cold.
To do that, every year we rely entirely on the dedication of our staff, volunteer Board of Directors and the countless caring groups and individuals who give their time, money and talent to The Snowsuit Fund. Thanks to their commitment, we are able to keep our administrative costs low and focus our financial resources on purchasing snowsuits. Fortunately, we have been able to establish healthy relationships with several Canadian snowsuit suppliers. Our negotiated prices allow us to obtain warm, fashionable and safe snowsuits at prices that stretch our dollars to the maximum. We must continually, however, seek out new ways in which we may sustain our operation. We hope that you will consider supporting this most worthwhile endeavour.
Please share your warmth with a child.