A Moncton-based charity is desperate for both donations and volunteers, as it struggles to keep up with operating and insurance costs.
The situation is so grim that Big Hearts Small City founder Jason Surette had to post a notice online looking for anyone willing to pitch in and help the organization, stating that unless he gets volunteers within the next two weeks, he might have to shut down his charity.
“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” Surette told
CBC News.
“In five years of running this non-profit organization and charity and doing community work for the last few years, I have a big heart and let me tell you when I had to post that announcement this morning it absolutely broke my heart to have to put that word out there because it’s the last thing I want to do.”
Some of the charity work performed by Big Hearts Small City includes rehousing fire victims, running a bed donation program, and occasionally paying the power bills of those living in extreme poverty.
Lack of volunteers is not Surette’s only problem – his organization is not raising enough funding to cover its charity work.
“In 2016 we received about almost $20,000 in donations and in 2017 last year, we just finished the year with right around $20,000, so we basically had the same amount of funding come in, and no large increase from one year to the next,” he explained.
With no office or staff, there is no-one to help Surette raise money. He also said that a grant from United Way did not fall through. Worse, his auto insurance costs for a donated van are catching up to him.
“We don’t have very much to begin with,” he remarked. “We only have a couple of thousand dollars and we have vehicle insurance that has to be paid in a few months. And you know that’s pretty much going to wipe us out when our donated van needs to be insured again and registered and all that stuff.”
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