November 2022
COMMUNITY NEWS
RenfrewCollingwoodCommunityNews.com
RCL Branch 179 update by Paul Reid I caught up with Branch 179’s 2022 Poppy Chairperson, Joy Leimanis, to see how things have been going so far. This is her first year as Poppy Chairperson. She explained that donations are significantly down since pre-COVID. Does the Legion need money? “The money donated doesn’t actually go to the Legion, that’s a common misconception. This money goes directly to the veterans, including Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP, and the veteran’s families.” “This includes programs like the Veterans Transition Program— a groupbased program developed at the University of BC. The first of its kind in Canada, it helps men and women returning from military service transition to productive civilian life. The Poppy fund also funds K-9 Companions for veterans in need of assistance, and that can include those with PTSD; it helps veterans who can’t pay their rent or who find themselves or a close family member in a health crisis. So it’s there as a support network for veterans and their families.” We understand that people are hurting, especially with inflation and uncertainty right now that we might be heading into a recession, so what we are asking is that if people can give at all, even a little bit, every dime helps and it goes to a great cause. The 2022 Poppy Campaign runs from Friday, October 28th to Remembrance Day. Photo by Paul Reid
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