Influx of donations at end of campaign ensures Tree of Hope surpasses fundraising target
The annual holiday fundraiser for Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington has once again surpassed its target, allowing the campaign to help more than 725 area kids.
The 2019 Tree of Hope campaign raised $60,000, the second-largest total in the campaign’s history of over 100 years. Just a week before the end of the campaign, there were doubts the target of raising the $40,000 would be reached. But with a little luck and a lot of local support, things changed for the campaign.
“Since then, donations have poured in online, in person, and by mail. So many that it actually broke the online giving platform the campaign uses,” Family and Children’s Services said in a press release on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019.
“Online donations were briefly interrupted this past weekend, but have since been restored. Nearly 400 people, groups, businesses and churches gave to the Tree of Hope this year.”
The 2019 Tree of Hope helped more than 725 kids served by the agency with toys, clothing and more. According to Family and Children’s Services, almost half of those served were under the age of nine, including nearly 30 infants. Another forty per cent were between the ages of nine and 17, and about half of those helped were outside of Kingston, including nearly 90 from Napanee alone.
“Once again, we asked for the public’s support for the kids and families we serve and once again we received an amazing response,” Family and Children’s Services said.
“We’re so grateful for all the people who made a donation and for those who followed the campaign day-by-day on social media.”
The extra money raised through the campaign will go towards supporting those children and youth served by Family and Children’s Services, including sending kids to camp in July of 2020.
The Tree of Hope was run by a team of two staff and a dozen volunteers, who began working on the campaign in July of this year.
Donations are still be accepted. Find out more about the campaign at ww.HelpTreeofHope.ca.