The holiday spirit of giving was strong at the Dante Club on Thursday.

At the Helping Helpers Appreciation Luncheon, Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines announced they will be donating $10,000 each to 10 local non-profits in the Timmins area.

The local charities that received the cheques are: The Good Samaritan Inn; H.O.P.E Comfort Kits and Community Outreach; Living Space; The Lord’s Kitchen Society; Project Love; The Timmins Food Bank; The Timmins Native Friendship Centre; The Salvation Army; The South Porcupine Food Bank; and the Yo! Mobile.

Marc Lauzier, PGM’s Mine General Manager, said the donation hits home for a lot of Goldcorp employees.

“A lot of the management team and a lot of our employees have grown up in the Timmins area,” Lauzier said. “And we can see that there are issues in the community. And we wanted to find a way to help with some of the issues that we’re facing. So we decided to help all the organizations that provide meals for the homeless today.”

A wave of surprise hit the attendees of the Helping Helpers Appreciation Luncheon when the announcement was made.

“It knocked my socks off,” said Deana Russell from The Lord’s Kitchen. “That just astounded us. That will go so far to provide so many hot meals.”

“It was a surprise,” said Mickayla Bird from the Timmins Native Frienship Centre, “I thought I was coming for a lunch and it came to be so much more than that.”

The money from the donations will mostly be going towards feeding the hungry and less fortunate this holiday season. According to Paulette Fortier, VP of the Yo! Mobile, this will go a long way.

“”This will help us pay off fuel bills,” Fortier said, “we’ve got really large fuel bills because we’ve got the bus running every Friday and Saturday night for six, seven hours sometimes.”

Most of these organizations will see the money go towards one main expense: food.

“For the South Porcupine Food Bank, it’s a tremendous donation,” said Mickey Auger, President of the South Porcupine Food Bank, “because now we’re going to go out and buy some turkeys for the people for Christmas. And it’s going to help feed a lot of people.”

Lauzier, from Goldcorp, says the company chose the 10 busiest organizations in the community, seeing an opportunity to help them fill their (sometimes bare) cupboards. He says he hopes other people and companies follow their example.

“I certainly hope that other people in the community will come forward and do the same. Winter’s coming. Last week was cold. And here’s an opportunity to help out and make sure that everyone has a good Christmas and gets through the winter.”

Jason Sereda, from the Living Space, says the donation will go towards buying fresh produce and food for clients. But while the donation will go far, there is still more that people can do towards ending the homelessness problem in the community.

“This is fantastic,” Sereda said, “but we’re only on the cusp of solving the problem of homelessness here in Timmins. And there’s much, much more that needs to be done. So, if people can just continue to rally together and continue to solve homelessness in Timmins.”

Deana Russell expressed gratitude for Goldcorp’s donation, and she hopes they continue helping these organizations, especially the ones that rely on volunteers and don’t offer a wage for staff.

“We don’t have a wage,” she said, “we’re all volunteers. So it’s all going into the pot to supply a meal.”

Mickayla Bird said this donation recognizes the work these organizations do for the community, and that feels pretty good.

“It feels good to be able to see that recognition, and also to be able to help our clients,” she said.

Lauzier says Goldcorp is always looking for different way to help the community and make it a better place for everyone who lives here

“We’re always trying to help with social issues in the community, or different types of initiatives that will help the community be a better place to live.”

Surprise was one of the strongest emotions of the afternoon, but gratitude is what will keep these organization leaders warm as we enter the holiday season.

“I have to say hats off the Goldcorp,” Deana Russell said, “They have been tremendous with their support in the community and the agencies through the years. And we just hope they keep continuing it.”

 

 

 

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