Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Jamie Sarner, a successful real estate agent and a firm believer in giving back to those less fortunate, tries to live by this standard.
At some point of life, we all find ourselves in dark or difficult times. Sometimes an unexpected event like a loss of a job, a serious health diagnosis, a failed relationship or some kind of financial trouble enters our lives and gives us many sleepless nights. These are the times when we are dependent on the help from others. We all need the support and encouraging words from our families, friends or colleagues. However, imagine that some people have nobody to turn to, nobody to offer them a helping hand. For such individuals, every day is a struggle. Is there a way to help them? Well, even a modest amount of money, a simple acts of kindness from a stranger can be life changing for the less fortunate. In desire to return hope to their lives, Jamie has supported a number of charities over the years. Below you can find a short description of these charities, but we encourage you to visit their websites to get a better understanding of their importance for society.
Daily Bread Food Bank
If you’ve been keeping up with Jamie’s website, you’ll realize food is an important, and much loved, part of his life. Unfortunately, even in our community, not everyone has the luxury to seek food for pleasure; many live hungry without knowing when or where their next meal will come from. For that reason we have donated money to The Daily Bread Food Bank, a non-profit organization that is fighting to end hunger in our communities. As Canada’s largest food bank, Daily Bread serves people through neighborhood food banks and meal programs in approximately 170 member agencies. Your donations and support are vital to ensuring they can continue to provide food and resources to the thousands of individuals and families across Toronto who need on them.
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
Breast cancer. These are among the most terrifying words you can hear from your doctor. Even though it is more than 100 times more common in women, breast cancer can occur in men, too. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to providing the most reliable and up-to-date information about breast cancer and supporting relevant and innovative research, meaningful education and awareness programs and advocating for early diagnosis and effective treatment.
Forest Hill Hockey Association
Hockey is, without doubt, one of our national sports. Boys and girls, men and women, almost everybody loves it. There are many talented young players in Canada and Jamie is proud to support some of them by sponsoring the FHHA, a community organization centred around hockey. It’s not only a place where kids come to get some exercise, it is a fun-filled place where they learn what it means to be part of a community.
Giving back to the community is not about making headlines; it is about a special feeling that you get when you know you helped someone. You may not feel like a hero, but remember that every little action that you take may have a greater impact on someone’s life than you would expect. And trust me, that feeling is priceless.
United Way Toronto
Established in 1956, United Way is a registered charity that works in partnership with other individuals and organizations. It mobilizes people and resources and supports more than 200 health and social service agencies that help strengthen Toronto neighbourhoods by improving lives of individuals and families living in vulnerable situations. By addressing the root causes of social problems, it tries to change community conditions for the better.
Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research
The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research is a Canadian charitable foundation whose goal is to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS and develop funding sources to support HIV/AIDS research activities conducted by others that the organization recognizes as achieving the greater potential for the long-term goal of a cure. CANFAR is the only privately funded, national charity dedicated solely to advancing research in the area of HIV/AIDS.
Since its inception in 1987, CANFAR has invested more than $18 million in research initiatives across Canada. CANFAR is funded solely through the generosity of corporations, groups, and individuals across Canada.
Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, previously called Princess Margaret Hospital, is a teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, affiliated with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine as part of the University Health Network.
The hospital now stands as the largest cancer centre in Canada and one of the 5 largest cancer centres in the world. Along with the Odette Cancer Centre (2nd largest in Canada, 6th largest in the world), which is also associated with University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, it forms one of the largest cluster of cancer hospitals in the world.
The Good Shepherd
“The Good Shepherd”, as it is affectionately called, is well known on the streets of Toronto. It’s a place to get a hot meal, clean clothes, a safe, clean bed for the night. It’s a place to go when you need someone to listen, someone to help.
What makes Good Shepherd Ministries special? The answer is different for each person who walks through the door.
For some, Good Shepherd Ministries means Good Shepherd Centre, the place where you go when there’s no money left for food. “There is always good food here and no one ever gets turned away,” as one meal line guest said.
For all of us, Good Shepherd Ministries is a place that promotes human dignity. A place where people come first. A place where the ‘last’ – the homeless, the marginalized – come first of all.
ALS Canada
ALS , or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disorder with various causes. ALS is characterized by muscle spasticity, rapidly progressive weakness due to muscle wasting. This results in difficulty speaking, swallowing, and breathing. Many famous people and celebrities across the world supported ALS patients in the past months, by their so called “Ice Bucket Challenge”, when they poured a bucket full of ice over themselves and then donated money to ALS charities.
ALS Canada, founded in 1977, is the only national voluntary health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS and support for those with ALS. ALS Canada is the leading not-for-profit organization working nationwide to fund ALS research and, with the Provincial ALS Societies, we all work to improve the quality of life for Canadians affected by ALS.
