Our Supporters Inspire, Energize and Sustain Us

by Oxfam Canada | December 21, 2021

Volunteers

Background media: Nine hands of different races and ages are piled on top of each other.

Photo: Shutterstock

At Oxfam Canada, our supporters inspire, energize and sustain us. We rely on their compassion and generosity – and share their belief that by working together, we can realize our vision of a kinder, fairer and more sustainable world.

Meet Four of Our Incredible Oxfam Canada Supporters

Judy Clarke, Oxfam Canada Donor

I am impressed by Oxfam's work and that they partner with local people and community organizations on all their projects.

A Caucasian middle aged woman with short brown hair smiling.

Photo courtesy of Judy Clarke

Judy Clarke is an Oxfam Canada donor who has supported our work for more than 15 years.

"I have been donating to Oxfam since 2004 when I saw an ad for emergency funding for a tsunami-devastated part of the world," Judy explains. "Over the next couple of years, I learned more about Oxfam and continued to donate."

Now that Judy's nieces and nephews are established and doing well on their own, she recently stopped giving a sum to each of them at Christmas. Instead, she decided to add some of that money to her annual contribution to Oxfam. Judy does this to help out other families and children around the world who desperately need it.

Van Williams, Oxfam Canada Monthly Donor

By empowering women around the world to take leadership roles, we can fundamentally shift the social and economic dynamic from competition for resources toward cooperation for sustainability.

An older Caucasian man dressed in a blue jacket and black pants stands smiling on a dock by the water with hills in the background.

Photo courtesy of Van Williams

Van Williams is a monthly donor who has supported Oxfam for more than 30 years.

"I feel like one of the privileged who has been buffered from the excesses of concentrated wealth: income disparity, mass migrations, depleted resources and the ravages of climate change," Van says.

He thinks our current global problems are systemic and therefore require systemic solutions.

"I value and support Oxfam's goal of addressing these issues," he explains, "and more by sponsoring women working in their local communities to reduce oppression, poverty and marginalization."

He'd like to see more people join him in working with Oxfam to support a transition from competition to cooperation.

Lori Hanson and Sasha Hanson Pastran, Oxfam Canada Donors

We are grateful to have worked with Oxfam, knowing the funds were put to good use.

Two caucasian middle aged women stand cheek to cheek smiling outside in front of trees with yellow and orange leaves

Photo courtesy of Lori Hanson and Sasha Hanson Pastran

When record-breaking hurricanes hit Nicaragua in November 2020, Lori Hanson and Sasha Hanson Pastran wanted to help.

"The entire country was affected, including our Nicaraguan family members and friends," they say. "We wanted to show our solidarity with them during a devastating disaster, as well as raise awareness about the issues that compounded the challenges of hurricane response efforts, such as the political crisis, drought and COVID-19."

Lori and Sasha knew Oxfam had worked with community partners in Nicaragua for years and quickly responded to this humanitarian emergency. They launched a social media campaign and reached out to their networks for donations, raising more than $8,000 for emergency relief.