Building a home is an expensive business. For that reason, Habitat for Humanity Cornwall & The Counties is particpating in a contest this June to try to bring $10,000 into our community for local, hard-working families.
Canadian summers mean more outdoor fun time, and that often means Canadians tend to forget to support their favourite charities. To help save charities from the summer-giving drought, CanadaHelps and The GIV3 Foundation have launched the fourth annual Great Canadian Giving Challenge contest.

The Great Canadian Giving Challenge runs coast to coast with a grand prize of $10,000.The contest is open to any registered Canadian charity. Habitat for Humanity Cornwall & The Counties is taking a shot at the big prize in hopes of using the winnings to offset the cost of Habitat Cornwall’s 14th Home Build in Cornwall, Ontario on Churchill Street. $10,000 could cover the cost of plumbing or heating for the Lauzon Family’s home. Their current house, which is a converted garage, has exposed HVAC, leaking windows, heaving floors and more. In addition, they have experienced multiple home invasions. A safe, new Habitat home will give these children and their parents the peace of mind they so greatly deserve.

“We rely on the generosity of our community donors, sponsors and volunteers. We are reaching out to the community through the media and social media in hopes that we can place ourselves in the running for this grand prize donation,” said Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Leigh Taggart.

Every $1 donated to Habitat for Humanity Cornwall & The Counties in the month of June through the online donation page CanadaHelps.org, gives Habitat Cornwall an entry ballot and chance to win the grand prize. The grand prize draw is on Canada Day and one lucky charity will be announced on July 1, 2019.

Habitat for Humanity Cornwall & The Counties does not receive annual government funding. The organization has built safe, decent and affordable homes to 13 local families and 31 children in Cornwall and SDG. Habitat Cornwall promotes home ownership for local, low-income working families by giving a hand up. Partner families pay an interest-free mortgage geared to their income and no down payment, but contribute 500 volunteer hours to Habitat. Their mortgage payments are invested into a revolving fund, which is used by Habitat Cornwall to help build more homes for low-income families in our community. The benefits of providing a hand up creates a community-wide ripple effect for generations, as affordable home ownership helps break the cycle of poverty.

The Great Canadian Giving Challenge experienced great success in 2018, with 89,899 Canadians participating in the contest, and donating over $11 million to more than 11,000 charities. The donations representing a 112% increase in compared to June 2014 and a 16% increase compared to the previous year.

To donate and help Habitat Cornwall potentially win $10,000 to help offset the costs for the Lauzon Home Build, visit https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/habitat-for-humanity-seaway-valley/.