Catholic charities are once again bracing for another extended Canada Post strike, with the current action lining up rather inconveniently with the upcoming charitable giving season.

The Canada Post labour dispute, which has seen sporadic negotiations since last fall, was reignited on Sept. 15 when the Canadian Union of Postal Workers instructed all members not to deliver or process unaddressed flyers. Ten days later, CUPW announced a national strike, effective immediately, due to announced service cutbacks by the federal government.

For Good Shepherd Ministries, a multi-programmed shelter in downtown Toronto, it’s not the first time it’s had to navigate a postal strike’s impact on fundraising. Just last Christmas season, a similar disruption threatened its mail-based donations, something the organization is desperately hoping doesn’t happen again this year.

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“ About 70 per cent of our Christmas donations the previous year had come in by mail, and we noticed that this past Christmas, because of that disruption, that we had to pivot and find ways to make sure we wouldn’t be affected as harshly,” said Adrienne Urquhart, Good Shepherd’s director of fundraising and public relations.

Now, with thousands of Canada Post workers joining picket lines and walkouts across the country, charities like Good Shepherd are hoping for a quick resolution for the sake of their clientele. 

At this time last year, Good Shepherd raised approximately $300,000 as part of its Thanksgiving donation appeal, which kicks off in October and leads into the Christmas season. Upwards of 80 per cent of all donations during last year’s Thanksgiving appeal came through mail, raising significant concern at Good Shepherd.

Urquhart shared that, worse yet, the charitable giving period not only includes the fall’s Thanksgiving appeal, but also encompasses the general peak period in giving between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

“ If this labour dispute goes on longer, it may potentially also have an impact on the Christmas season, and so our mailing appeal is in limbo right now,” she said. “ We're not an overly-large charity, so it really is a sizable, significant amount.”

With a substantial portion of Good Shepherd’s donors preferring tangible mail over digital communication, there has been some difficulty in pivoting entirely to digital channels.

As with last fall, the Good Shepherd remains steadfast in attempting the switch, using email, phoning, online options, digital and even radio advertising to ensure donors are still able to be communicated with effectively during this time.

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During last year’s strike, Good Shepherd reported a spike in online donations, upwards of half its total donations after pivoting to digital channels. With the strike ending before Christmas, mailed donations were able to resume — a welcome result as digital donations proved tricky in practice.

“You do miss a big portion of the population when switching to online;  people change their email addresses, sometimes emails go into spam folders, sometimes we don’t even have all the contact information,” Urquhart said.

It’s a reality that other Catholic charities, such as ShareLife, have been dealing with as well. Arthur Peters, ShareLife’s executive director, said its Thanksgiving mailing was prepared to be sent out to the parishioners of the Archdiocese of Toronto before the strike made delivery uncertain.

“More and more people are turning to ShareLife agencies for help, and through our Food Security Grants, we are responding to an urgent hunger crisis in our community,” he said.

Parishioners can still give online at sharelife.org/donate, by phone at (416) 934-3400 ext. 555, [email protected] or by using a ShareLife envelope at their parish.

Urquhart said Good Shepherd sent emails to all donors with available email addresses immediately after the strike began.

Thanksgiving appeal donations to Good Shepherd primarily support the shelter's general operations, but can be designated for specific programs such as the veterans program, meal service or alcohol recovery, if requested by donors.

Donations that do come in during this time are greatly appreciated, said the director. While the full impact of the strike is uncertain, a prolonged disruption could lead to a significant shortfall in funds.

“ I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't say what it is going to look like, but our estimate is that if it continues, that we definitely will be hit. People have responded to those emails already, but it is still concerning not only for us, but also for other charities that may be affected by their mail being disrupted,” she said.

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Peters hopes that amid the renewed uncertainty, the graciousness and selflessness of Catholics will once again fill in the gaps.

“Getting help out quickly to those in need has never been more urgent, and we are confident that the same spirit of generosity will shine through again,” Peters said.