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Langley Township firefighters launch 12 Days of Giving campaign

A dozen charities will receive donations and exposure
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Langley Township firefighters donated money to Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities, one of a dozen charities getting funding and attention during their 12 Days of Giving event. (TLFCS/Special to the Langley Advance Times)

A dozen days, a dozen charities – and $24,000 from Langley Township’s firefighters.

Township of Langley’s Firefighter Charitable Society (TLFCS) has created a new initiative that is aimed at both donating and putting a spotlight on worthy groups that work to make Langley a better place.

The 12 Days of Giving started Dec. 12, and goes until Dec. 24, each day will focus on a different charity, said Nick Short, a firefighter and charitable director for the society.

The money comes from a variety of sources, including new fundraisers, the Mayor’s Gala, and from payroll deductions from members of IAFF local 4550, the union for Township firefighters.

Short noted that about 75 per cent of union members signed up to have money donated directly from their pay cheques every two weeks.

To see which charities are getting funded each day, follow TLFCS on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, or online at tlfcs.org.

“The charities were selected by firstly polling our members and having them submit various groups and causes,” said Short.

After that, the organization applied a number of criteria.

Was the group local to Langley, or did the work they do benefit local citizens?

Were they aligned with the firefighters’ core values of upholding the protection of life, property, and the environment?

Would the donation have an impact on the work they could do in Langley?

And finally, were they already a registered charity?

“Although there are many charities that meet all the above criteria, we feel that we selected a great group of charities doing amazing work in the Township,” said Short.

The other goal, beyond simply helping fund the charities, is to get their stories out there, for each and every one of the dozen organizations.

“Many of these groups rely on pure volunteerism and small donations to continue on with their missions,” said Short. “Besides donating cash, we can help share their story and raise awareness for their efforts.”

Short said that sometimes the “giving community” in Langley is in silos, but they hope a broad event like this can help move Langley towards being a place where giving is inclusive and interactive, where people can share ideas, resources, and partnerships.

“We will be featuring one charity per day on our social media during this campaign, and we will be sharing their upcoming events, something of impact our members took away from our interaction with the charity, or some item of need they may have,” said Short.

The 12 charities are:

• Ishtar Women’s Resource Society

• Meals on Wheels Langley

• Gateway of Hope

• Sources Langley Food Bank

• Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities

• Hope After Stroke

• Special Olympics BC Langley

• Nicomekl River Enhancement Society

• Canuck Place

• Critter Care Society

• Ducks Unlimited

• Big Brothers Big Brothers Sisters Langley