#GivingTuesday—Kicking Off the Season of Giving

Friends of Connections Place,

December 1^st marks the beginning of the giving season when Canadians have traditionally chosen to support those charities and organizations that best reflect the values and good work that we hold close to our hearts.

This year, local business owner Marian Paris of Paris Roka Candy is helping us kick off our season of giving by offering to match $2,500 in donations with the goal of raising $5,000 in support of mental health services and programs at Connections Place.

Marian believes strongly in the work being done at the Connections Place Society Clubhouse. She has been an active supporter of the agency since it opened its doors in March 2019.

“Our candy fundraising, in memory of my son Daniel (1986–2013) has been devoted to supporting this new clubhouse, a place of hope and belonging.”

Marian feels that had the clubhouse existed in Victoria during Daniel’s lifetime, it would have made a positive difference in his life.

Not only is Marian generously donating $,2500 in matching donations, she’s decided to ‘sweeten the deal’. The first 10 people to donate to Connections Place in support of the Paris Roka Matching donation will receive 1 of 10 Paris Roka gift bags containing:

1 bag of chocolate almond roka candy and 1 bag of peppermint white chocolate candy

• In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness.
• A recent poll found that 50% of Canadians reported worsening mental health since the pandemic began with many feeling worried (44%) and anxious (41%).
• 1 in 10 Canadians polled said that their mental health had worsened ‘a lot’ as a result of COVID-19.

At Connections Place, disrupting isolation and staying connected are at the center of our work. Offering the opportunity to engage in employment-related programming, community, and building meaningful relationships are what we believe help people find recovery.

Chris Forester
Executive Director