Yesterday was a big day for Indigenous communities across Canada. The first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Canada is rich with First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities and so many of them have been effected by our tragic history of residential schools, including communities up North.  In fact, the last residential school in Nunavut didn’t close until 1997! 

Recently your feed has probably been full of orange (I know mine has been!) and you might be wondering what actions you can take.  Well, beyond listening to the stories and wearing orange to show you’re an ally, you can donate in a variety of ways.  If you’re interested, I have a way that you can help make a difference to an Inuit community up North.

On Tuesdays in October, Canada Post offers free shipping to small businesses. For the past couple of years I’ve used those Tuesdays to send supplies to a women’s shelter and daycare in Nunavut. For folks living in remote areas up North, daily items like food, clothing, and cleaning supplies can cost up to 3 times as much as they do in Southern Canada. Crazy, right? (Think about how many times you have sticker shock in the grocery store and now imagine that price tripling!)

With donations from friends and family I’ve been able to send some pretty big, heavy boxes up to Nunavut full of all kinds of goodies, but I’m hoping to give even more this year.  So I’m asking for YOUR help.

For the entire month of October I’m going to take 10% of my sales (including wholesale!) and use that money to buy items for the women and children at the shelter and daycare.  My contact in Nunavut has given me a list of items they’re in need of (parkas, pyjamas, cleaning supplies, etc.) and I’m hoping to be able to get them as many of those items as possible.

Now, I know 10% doesn’t sound like much, but every year I end up paying for extra shipping costs. Even though Canada Post calls it “Free” shipping, it really only covers up to a certain amount.  Get a couple of snowsuits in a box and you’re suddenly oversized and overweight… AND you’re shipping it to a remote area, so free isn’t free anymore.

If you’d like to do something to help our Inuit neighbours, go to my site and do some shopping.  I’ll send you your order and take the 10% and do all the hard stuff!  OR if you’d simply like to donate some moola, I’ll happily take that too!  Send an e-transfer to info@hugandkissdesigns.com I’ll keep you all updated on my shopping and shipping adventures.

And big hugs to all my Indigenous brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousin, parents and grandparents!

Thanks in advance!