These Edmonton organizations are looking for help on Giving Tuesday

It’s Giving Tuesday and local organizations are hoping Edmontonians will step up ahead of what’s projected to be a difficult holiday season for many.

Hope Mission serves 1,700 meals a day to vulnerable Edmontonians.

“Here at Hope Mission we say that hope begins with a meal, that’s what brings people in from the cold, offers them access to life-changing care, nursing care, access to transitional housing,” said Brenton Driedger.

For Giving Tuesday, they have a donor who will match donations up to $25,000.

“$50,000 is enough to provide 18,500 meals over the next few weeks so that would get us through a good chunk of our daily meals at 1,700 every day as well as those special Christmas dinners,” Driedger said.

You can contribute to the Hope Mission’s campaign online.

CASA Services provides mental health help for children and families in Alberta.

“We really are looking to double the number of kids we serve in the next three years, so this will be part of the campaign to get to those kids,” said CEO Bonnie Blakley.

“We serve 4,000 children, youth and families right now, so our goal is to get to at least 8,000.”

CASA is hoping to raise $100,000 by the end of the year to expand their services.

A former teammate of late Edmonton Oiler player Colby Cave has agreed to match donations of up to $10,000.

“Colby would be everything about CASA, and for his former teammate to make this donation to match donors on Giving Tuesday also just shows how close the hockey family is,” Colby’s wife Emily said.

You can donate to CASA online.

Boys and Girls Club Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton and Area is looking for donations of another kind:time.

“We are currently looking for 1,000 volunteers to serve 1,200 kids in the next year,” said recruitment coordinator Danielle Newman, adding that children are currently waiting two to three years to be placed with a mentor.

Volunteers are asked to commit for a minimum of one year, and the commitment is one to two hours a week.

“This can be a little different based on the program, but that’s the general idea. We do have programs that run during the school day, after school, and on the weekends, so it really can be flexible to the volunteer’s availability.”

Newman hopes those who still want to give back this season but may not have extra cash to do so will sign up.

“If people are able to give an hour or two a week, that makes a huge difference for our kids.”

To find out how to volunteer for Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit their website.

Find out more about organizations in Edmonton who need help on Giving Tuesday.