'There are other ways to give': How one N.S. non-profit is pivoting during the Canada Post strike

It's a critical time of year for non-profit and charity organizations, with many fundraising not only to make the holidays a little brighter for those in need, but to help with operating costs beyond the Christmas season.

Those who work in the non-profit sector say it can be a challenge to raise donations even at the best of times, but the ongoing Canada Post strike is making it even harder to reach potential donors.

Michelle Porter, the co-founder and CEO of Soul's Harbour Rescue Mission in Nova Scotia, says it’s too soon to tell the full impact of the strike, which has been ongoing for almost three weeks.

“We are concerned if the strike goes on much longer that we would actually be in jeopardy of losing up to a million dollars that gets mailed in every single year around this time,” she said during an interview with CTV Morning Live Atlantic.

Porter said Soul's Harbour serves more than 500 people every day in communities across the province.

“We’re housing women and children at our women’s and children’s campus, and then of course we have our men’s recovery program helping men come out of the justice system and helping men who are struggling with addiction and recovery,” she said.

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Porter said the strike, which began on Nov. 15, reminds her of 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We just really had to rally together and we put on a radiothon, we’ve done some advertising campaigns that we wouldn’t ordinarily do, we’ve phoned 17,000 donors, emailing everyone just trying to show that there are other ways to give besides the mail even though we know it’s uncomfortable for people,” she said.

Anyone looking to donate to the rescue mission during the holiday season can do so online or by calling 1-902-405-HOME(4663).

“We do have a give-where-you-live policy, and so your name will be sorted by where you live as far as your postal code and we’ll make sure that that money stays in your community,” Porter said.

“Whomever you normally give to, make the extra effort because it’s not just Soul’s Harbour, all the charities will be struggling until that strike is over.”

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.