Local charities worry what postal strike means for donations ahead of holidays

Some charities are asking Albertans to reconsider how they donate, to ensure dollars don't get lost in the mail if postal workers hit the picket line.

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The Hope Mission, Edmonton's Food Bank and the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton are all worried about what a Canada Post strike will mean for them – and their clients – ahead of the busy holiday season.

"A lot of our supporters are of an older demographic that still writes checks and still sends them in envelopes through the mail," said Kevin Wiebe from the Hope Mission.

"Any delay in support will have an impact on our community."

On Tuesday, Canada Post said it would try and minimize disruptions should workers strike or be locked out on Friday. However, the postal service warned there could be "immediate and prolonged ripple effects."

Wiebe said the potential disruption comes at a time when the need for services is at an all-time high, with the Hope Mission serving around 2,500 hot meals a day.

That, he said, is nearly a 40 per cent increase from last year.

Wiebe said donating online or over the phone is a good way for Edmontonians to make sure their money gets where it needs to go.

"What a lot of people don't know is that most of our donations come in in this last portion of the year," he added.

The start of the holiday season is also an important time for Edmonton's Food Bank, which relies on Canada Post to help raise awareness and funding. 

Tamisan Bencz-Knight with the food bank said the organization's newsletter is scheduled to be mailed out to thousands of homes and businesses next week.

The food bank also uses Canada Post to distribute the 20,000 festive brown bags it mails out for food donations.

Bencz-Knight said she's unsure of how a strike could impact those efforts, but she's hopeful.

"This won't be the first time that something has happened that has impacted us negatively, but at the same time, the community has listened to how they can still contribute and support our work," she added.

The Christmas Bureau of Edmonton said the majority of its donations come by mail, with only 21 per cent made online. 

In addition to that, more than 10,000 gift cards are mailed to clients in need each year.

"We really hope that we are able to get everything to our clients before Christmas," Adam Zawadiuk of the Christmas Bureau said.

"Because of the volume that we deal with each and every year, it's really tough to find alternative measures," he added.

All three organizations accept donations online.

The rural, suburban and urban bargaining units of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers issued strike notices on Tuesday. They could strike as soon as Friday at midnight.

For the latest information on negotiations and possible affected locations, visit the Canada Post website.

With files from Christl Dabu