Windsor charities struggling amid downturn in donations due to tariff uncertainty
A joint news release from the Downtown Mission of Windsor, Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative, Feeding Windsor-Essex, Safe Families of Windsor, Windsor Life Centre, Windsor Lifeline Outreach, and Matthew House Refugee Welcome Centre said the escalation of tariffs is affecting their ability to serve those most in need.
The organizations said that economic pressures are leading to a sharp decline in local charitable giving with many longtime donors now forced to choose between making a donation and putting food on their own table.
Matthew House Windsor provides a temporary home and settlement supports for refugee claimants.
Resource development coordinator, Heidi Hotz Nourse said the downturn in donations led them to having to lay off some staff.
'It's been tighter, we have to do more with less, just like anybody else would, and of course, you do what you can, and we've had a lot of bright spots, we've had a lot of great volunteers stepping up,' Hotz Nourse said.
'That's why I say, if you can't physically give something, your time is super valuable too. You can do a lot.'
Hotz Nourse said charities all around are struggling to deal with the impact.
'A lot of the people that support us are other charitable groups who've also noticed that their charity donations are down,' she said.
'It's tough for everyone, we realize that, but this is where we have to really dig deep, see how we can help one another and somehow or another, the math all works when we do that.'
Hotz Nourse said the best way to help yourself is to help someone else.
'Whether it be time, or physical goods that you can donate to help that you no longer need, that is of use to a lot of different charities, us included, and donations always help. We all know money is a key to making the purchases that you need,' Hotz Nourse said.
Matthew House is currently in urgent need of hygiene supplies , food items, kitchen items, cleaning and household items, first home items and shelter/program items.
- Written by Dustin Coffman and Rusty Thomson/AM800 News.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
7 minutes ago
- CTV News
Jim Redpath, founder of North Bay mining contractor, has died
Jim Redpath is best known for founding J.S. Redpath Ltd., a mining contracting company specializing in shaft sinking based in North Bay, when he was just 26 years old. James (Jim) Stockton Redpath, 88, died Aug. 2 in St. John's, Nfld., after a 'courageous 20-year journey with Parkinson's disease,' his obituary said. Redpath is best known for founding J.S. Redpath Ltd., a mining contracting company specializing in shaft sinking based in North Bay, when he was just 26 years old. It's now known as Redpath Mining Contractors and Engineers. Jim Redpath grew up at a mine site in Val-d'Or, Que, the eldest child of James and Margaret Redpath. 'As a teenager, he worked two formative summers on a small exploration boat in Hudson Bay, an experience that sparked both his enduring work ethic and a deep love of the Canadian North,' his obit said. Redpath earned his degree in mining engineering from McGill University before founding his famous mining contracting company. 'Under his leadership, the company … laid a foundation of technical excellence and integrity, eventually becoming a global leader in mining services,' his obit said. 'He stepped away from the company at age 50, proud of its trajectory and legacy.' 'Under his leadership, the company … laid a foundation of technical excellence and integrity, eventually becoming a global leader in mining services.' — Jim Repath obituary The company started with only four employees in October 1962. When it celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022, there were more than 6,400 staff around the world, including 200 in North Bay. Five years after he founded J.S. Redpath Ltd., the company secured five major projects. One of the projects, Creighton Mine, No. 9 Shaft, located in Ontario, was the deepest North American shaft at that time. After leaving the mining world, Redpath studied art curation at Sotheby's in New York and went on to lead the Capitol Arts Centre in North Bay for several years, supporting local artists and fostering cultural growth. 'In later years, Jim and his wife Bobbi settled in St. John's … a place he held close to his heart,' his obituary said. 'There, they became deeply involved in the city's vibrant arts community.' Honorary doctorates In recognition of his contributions to industry and the arts, he received honorary doctorates from both McGill University and Nipissing University and served as the first Chancellor of Nipissing in 1994. He was awarded Queen Elizabeth II's Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals and the Order of Ontario. He is survived by his wife and partner of over 50 years, Bobbi, 'with whom he shared a rich and joyful life,' his obit said. 'He was a loving and supportive father to Carolyn, Lorraine, John and Sarah, and a proud grandfather to five grandchildren. He was predeceased by his siblings, Anne and John. Jim's life was one of vision, reinvention, and quiet philanthropy. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.' A Celebration of Life will be held on Aug. 20 at 4 p.m. at The Rooms in St. John's, Newfoundland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Parkinson Canada or a local arts organization in Jim's memory.
CTV News
37 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘Let's be smarter than the U.S. is': Experts discuss trade strategy amid Trump tariffs
As Canadians continue to navigate the ever-changing trade policies of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, experts say officials in Ottawa are walking a tight rope between appeasement and retaliation. '(Trump) takes retaliation very personally, so I'm not sure it's worth the calculation,' Drew Fagan, professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, told BNN Bloomberg in a Tuesday interview. 'Canada's a big country, it's the tenth biggest economy in the world, but we're a middle weight fighting with a super-heavy weight, I don't think you want to go punching with them and thinking you're an equal; you're not.' A Friday deadline passed without a trade deal between the U.S. and Canada, and the Trump administration implemented a 35 per cent tariff on Canadian goods entering the U.S. that are not already covered under the existing North American free trade agreement. Most Canadian products exported to the U.S. do fall under the Canada-United States-Mexico agreement (CUSMA) and thus remain duty-free for now. That deal, however, is slated for renegotiation in 2026. 'For (Canada), the bigger negotiation is the one over the renewal, the review and the renegotiation of CUSMA next year,' Fagan argued. 'When (Trump) negotiated the renewal of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) in his first term, he put additional pressure on Canada by putting tariffs... on steel and aluminum that are key products that we export to the U.S.' It's possible, Fagan said, that Trump is carrying out a similar strategy now. 'The only thing that's really stopping him are the courts in the United States,' he said. From the start, Trump's legal justification for the tariffs placed on Canadian goods came through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the U.S. president authority to enact economic measures typically reserved for the U.S. Congress. 'There is a significant court case going on now… it's possible that the court will strike (the tariffs) down, but of course this president has a way of kind of working around court decisions… but we should expect that it'll be a bit of a full tilt in 2026,' said Fagan. Canada's next moves Although most Canadian exporters with U.S. customer bases are free to operate without tariffs for the time being, it remains unclear what moves Washington or Ottawa will make next in the ongoing trade conflict. But those industries that export non-CUSMA compliant goods to the U.S. need relief as soon as possible, says John Boscariol, leader of the International Trade and Investment Law Group at McCarthy-Tétrault LLP. 'For our exporters in the steel, aluminum and auto sector and now copper, they continue to face sectoral tariffs, so they are continuing to be hurt by those tariffs,' he told BNN Bloomberg in a Tuesday interview. 'What we are anticipating hopefully is that, as this agreement is being negotiated, we're going to see some kind of deal, some kind of resolution over those sectoral tariffs going forward and that's really how we will judge whether this is a good deal or not.' Many within the Canadian business community had been hoping for a new trade deal before last week's deadline to ease the burden on companies impacted by current tariff rates. But it's unclear if an imminent agreement is in the cards, Fagan noted. 'Conversations are continuing… the (U.S.) president and the prime minister are expected to talk this week,' he said. '(But) I don't expect, and I don't think many people expect a deal to be done soon with regard to Canada and the United States.' Prime Minister Mark Carney has said repeatedly since taking office this spring that Canada needs to diversify its economic partnerships around the world and become less dependent on the U.S. in light of the trade developments this year. But many of those partnerships are still in the early stages, and most Canadian exporters will continue to rely on U.S. markets at least in the near and medium term, Boscariol said. 'There is that opportunity to diversify and certainly the provinces are trying to do their part in reducing provincial barriers but in the short to medium term, we're looking to these trade negotiations to provide some sort of relief or resolution,' he said. While in search of that resolution, Fagan said that Canada's leaders should rely on their strengths, which have always been different than those of their U.S. counterparts. 'Let's be smarter than the U.S. is; we always are in negotiations,' he said, 'that's our superpower and I think we will be in the upcoming negotiations as well.'
CTV News
37 minutes ago
- CTV News
OPP say they are investigating the mayor of North Bay
Ontario Provincial Police said Tuesday they are investigating allegations involving North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico. In an email to CTV News, an OPP spokesperson said the North Bay Police Service referred a complaint about Chirico to the OPP. The complaint was 'concerning allegations involving the mayor of the City of North Bay, who also serves on the North Bay police services board,' OPP spokesperson Gosia Puzio said in the email. 'We can confirm that the OPP has opened an investigation into the matter.' Personal expenses Chirico has been in the spotlight since it emerged this spring that he had used the corporate credit card to pay for personal expenses, including golf club memberships, gifts and cigarettes. He has said he repaid $16,000 in personal items he charged to the city credit card. North Bay city council rejected a motion calling for a forensic audit into the mayor's expenses, and for Chirico to step down from the police board while the audit was being conducted. However, city integrity commissioner Guy Giorno has been asked by Chirico to investigate. It also emerged in July that Margaret Karpenko, the city's outgoing chief financial officer, recommended in early 2024 that Chirico's credit card be taken away. That recommendation was ignored and he continued to charge personal items on the card into late 2024. He has since surrendered the card and Karpenko has announced she is leaving North Bay to become CFO in Greater Sudbury. CTV News has contacted the City of North Bay to respond to the news that the OPP is investigating allegations involving the mayor.
