With global poverty rates on the rise, Canadian Christmas giving is primed for impact

LONDON, Ontario - Oct. 27, 2021 - PRLog -- In a time when it's been hard to see the good, Compassion Canada is inviting Canadians to recognize every good gift they've been given and give good gifts to help lift children and their families out of poverty. Launching on November 1^st, just in time for the Christmas and year-end giving season, Gifts of Compassion are the perfect stocking stuffer or charitable complement to Christmas gifts for friends, family, clients, co-workers and more.

This year, Pew Research estimated that globally, the number of people living in poverty rose by 131 million in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total to over 800 million people. The gifts included in this year's Gifts of Compassion gift guide are handpicked to meet real needs identified by local leaders to help children families living in poverty recover from the pandemic and build resilience for the future.

Within both the print and online gift guide, donors will find familiar favourites such as mosquito nets, washrooms, goats, vegetable seeds and vocational training, as well as exciting new gifts such as mental health support, fishery training, financial
literacy training and child protection workshops.

The impact of Canadian giving is far-reaching and makes a real impact in real lives. After completing a barbering course as part of a vocational training initiative at his Compassion centre, 20-year-old Oned from Colombia says, "I don't know what I would be doing if I had not been part of the Compassion centre." Oned has since started a barber shop and supports himself and his grandparents with his earnings. He offers free haircuts to members of his community who can't afford them as a way to give back.

Gifts of Compassion are contextualized to each local community. Every project and initiative funded by Gifts of Compassion is initiated and implemented by local leaders who are neighbours of the children and youth in Compassion's programs. For donors, Gifts of Compassion can be personal and contextualized, too. With six categories and over 40 gifts to choose from in this year's gift guide, there's something for everyone!

In its first 10 years, Gifts of Compassion raised over $11.5 million, directly impacting 644,553 individuals living in poverty.

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ABOUT COMPASSION CANADA – A leading child development organization, Compassion is helping more than 2 million children in 25 countries learn the skills and receive the opportunities they need to overcome poverty. Compassion was named by Charity Intelligence Canada as one of Canada's Top 100 Charities in 2021. Learn more at https://www.compassion.ca.