November 16, 2022
Dear Member, Friend and Supporter of Guide Dog Users of Canada
Giving Tuesday is now well established in Canada as a day to give back to the community and causes that we care about. As you consider the charities and special causes you wish to support this year, we invite you to consider supporting the work of Guide Dog Users of Canada.
A registered Canadian charity since the late 1990’s, Guide Dog Users of Canada (GDUC) brings together guide dog handlers and those waiting to work with a guide dog across Canada.
As a totally volunteer run organization, GDUC works to educate the public on the access rights of guide dog handlers and provides support to guide dog teams in the areas of advocacy, education and peer support. Throughout the pandemic, we worked hard to facilitate connections among guide dog handlers through our discussion lists and regular “Sniffing it Out” chats via Zoom that focused on education and sharing information and experiences. And we value the opportunity to represent the needs and views of guide dog handlers at the community and government levels, including recent advocacy on such important topics as, for example, relief areas in airports.
In addition to our education, advocacy and peer support efforts, GDUC also operates two special funds: a Wellness Fund that helps offset unexpected veterinary costs incurred by handlers in order to do everything possible to keep a guide dog working. Our Mary Spice Fund provides small grants to help our members attend in person conferences, which we try to hold on an annual basis (of course interrupted by the pandemic). Given that our members come from across the country and many are on fixed income, the ability to offer small transportation grants helps us make our organization more inclusive.
None of these activities would be possible without the continued support of our generous donors. We invite you to include Guide Dog Users of Canada as you make your charitable giving decisions this year. You are welcome to support our general GDUC operations, or contribute directly to our Wellness Fund or our Mary Spice Fund. The easiest way to donate is via Canada Helps. Simply search for “Guide Dog Users of Canada” and make your donation directly using Canada Helps which will also issue you your charitable income tax receipt on our behalf. If you wish to designate your donation to one of our particular funds, you can also do that on the Canada Helps Donation page. Also, another reason to use Canada Helps to make your donation, if you can – between now and November 29th, all donors via Canada Helps will be entered into a draw to win a $5000 contribution to the charity of your choice. All donors are automatically entered into the draw between now and November 29th which is Giving Tuesday. You can visit Canada Helps at: www.CanadaHelps.ca. Once on the Canada Helps site, just search for guide Dog Users of Canada.
If you prefer not to use Canada Helps, you may either make your donation via interac e-transfer to the email: treasurer@gduc.ca or via personal cheque. In either case, please contact our treasurer, Penny Hartin, directly at treasurer@gduc.cawho can provide you with specific instructions and also obtain the information she will need to issue your charitable income tax receipt.
Our guide dogs provide us with friendship, independence and a precious link to the communities in which we live. We sincerely thank you for supporting us, the handlers in being the best we can be in supporting our guide dog/human partnership.
Sincerely yours,
Dar Wournell
President
Guide Dog Users of Canada