CARDUS Work & Economics

"Many of Canada’s embattled charities are still struggling to come to grips with plummeting revenue and a spike in demand for their services — and they’ve noticed that wealthier Canadians may have some extra cash to give.

"The faith-based think tank Cardus tallied up changes in discretionary spending and found that the wealthiest 40 per cent of Canadians saved about $1,150 on average in the first two months of lockdowns. That adds up to about $5.3 billion across the country."

During the first two months of pandemic lockdowns when the national economy came to a virtual halt, wealthier Canadians saved an estimated $5.3 billion.

Many Canadians have the capacity to give. They should do so. It would create jobs, increase the charities’ capacity to help and make that help more available to those who’ve fared the worst during the pandemic. And it would create a sense of social solidarity at a time of political polarization as Canadians stand shoulder to shoulder simply because they care for their neighbours.