The Welcome Hall Mission in Montreal is expressing concerns about the impact of the ongoing postal strike on its donation levels. This organization provides meals and groceries to hundreds of people in the city daily. While their annual Thanksgiving meal for the homeless was not affected by the strike this year, the president and CEO, Samuel Watts, fears potential future repercussions.
Watts described the Thanksgiving dinner as a brief moment of joy for those facing difficult circumstances. The organization is now urging supporters to make donations through their website or over the phone until the postal strike is resolved. Welcome Hall Mission heavily relies on postal donations to fund events like the Thanksgiving meal and their winter Christmas gathering for families in need.
Due to the strike, which began on September 25, mail delivery was completely halted initially, causing concerns for the organization’s fundraising efforts. Although the Canadian Union of Postal Workers has now transitioned to rotating strikes, allowing some mail and parcel deliveries to resume, the Welcome Hall Mission anticipates a decrease in donations this year due to the strike disrupting their regular fundraising channels.
Watts estimated that despite an increase in online donations in recent years, a significant portion of their monetary support still comes through traditional mail, amounting to millions of dollars annually. He noted that the previous year’s postal strike cost the organization approximately $1 million in donations just before Christmas, highlighting the financial impact of such disruptions.
Moreover, Watts emphasized the challenge of reaching older donors who prefer postal donations due to concerns about online security. With a majority of donors being over 60 years old, the organization faces obstacles in maintaining communication and support during the strike period. Canada Post’s latest offer to the striking workers on October 3 has been met with criticism from the union, further prolonging the resolution of the strike.
