DON'T MISS THE VICTORIA FRINGE FESTIVAL

CRISIS IN PAKISTAN

Dear Constituents,

Whether in response to the injustice of absolute poverty across much of Africa, or to a natural disaster of the kind that devastated Haiti earlier this year, Victorians have always reached across waters to support people in desperate need. Once again, tragedy has struck another corner of our shrinking plant. As you know, Pakistan is facing the worst floods seen there in three generations. A fifth of the country is flooded, almost 20 million people are affected (with 6 million now in need of basic shelter) and 1600 are reported dead.

As this crisis continues to unfold, many of you are asking how you can help. The United Nations and numerous non-governmental organizations are coordinating their efforts to get clean water, food and medicine to those affected. Also, the Government of Canada has announced a Pakistan Floods Relief Fund that will match Canadians’ donations dollar for dollar. For every eligible donation made by individual Canadians to Canadian-registered charities between August 2 and September 12, the Government will contribute an equivalent amount.

For your convenience, I have pasted some important details below. For more information, please visit the Canadian International Development Agency’s website at www.cida.gc.ca.

Thank you for giving generously.

Sincerely,

Denise

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The maximum amount per single donation that the government will match is $100,000. To count toward the Pakistan Floods Relief Fund, donations must be:

Made by an individual Canadian
Made to a registered Canadian charity* that is receiving donations in response to the July-August floods in Pakistan
Specifically earmarked to respond to the July-August floods
Received by the registered Canadian charity between August 2 and September 12, 2010
Declared to CIDA by the registered Canadian charity (including the amount collected and an attestation that the donations received are within the limit of $100,000 per individual)

The government will NOT match donations made by corporations, governments, businesses, partnerships, schools, incorporated or non-incorporated entities, or unions from their existing resources that were not raised from individuals specifically in response to the flooding.

Amounts raised, however, from fundraising events undertaken to raise money from individuals in response to the flooding are eligible. This fundraising may be undertaken by schools, faith-based organizations, clubs, social groups, businesses, incorporated entities, or registered charities.

*The Canada Revenue Agency keeps a list of Canadian charities. To confirm if a charity is registered, please check the charities listings on their website.