Ontario Organization Encourages Residents to Donate $200 Rebate Cheques to Local Charities
200dollars.ca Aims to Unite Ontarians Amid Affordability Crisis
As Ontario residents anticipate their $200 rebate cheques, the organization 200dollars.ca is encouraging people to donate the funds to local charities, arguing that collective giving could have a far greater impact than individual spending.
The initiative’s co-founder, Erin Brubacher, highlighted the potential benefits of donating the rebates, emphasizing the power of community action.
“Feed Ontario has shared that every dollar donated can provide two meals. That means a $200 donation translates to 400 meals,” Brubacher explained.
The rebate cheques, announced by the Ford government in late October, are part of a one-time measure to alleviate cost-of-living pressures for 15 million Ontarians. While opposition leaders criticized the move as insufficient and a political distraction, 200dollars.ca stresses its non-partisan mission, urging widespread participation in the initiative.
Brubacher hopes the effort will bring residents together, especially as the province grapples with a worsening housing crisis, rising food insecurity, and ongoing strains on the healthcare system.
The 200dollars.ca website links to a CanadaHelps.org page featuring various Ontario-based charities. Popular donation choices include shelters, food banks, hospitals, and organizations such as SickKids and Kids Help Phone.
Charities Welcome the Initiative
Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, praised the campaign, emphasizing the growing need for support.
“If you don’t need your rebate, someone else certainly does. That’s the bottom line,” he said.
Food insecurity has reached alarming levels in Ontario. According to the Who’s Hungry Report, visits to food banks in Toronto soared to 3.49 million between April 2023 and April 2024, a million more than the previous year and nearly four times pre-pandemic levels.
Hetherington expressed hope that the initiative will inspire more people to give back, enabling food banks to continue meeting surging demand.
Rising Housing Costs Add Pressure
Housing affordability is another critical issue. Non-profits like Habitat for Humanity GTA are increasingly struggling to make homeownership accessible, as land and construction costs have tripled over the past decade.
“Every dollar counts,” said Christine Mapp Batchelor, vice president of resource development at Habitat for Humanity GTA. “It truly makes a difference for organizations like ours and many others across the province.”
Building Momentum
Brubacher says many Ontarians are already pledging to donate before receiving their cheques, and public pledges on the website may inspire others to follow suit.
“When we pool our money, we can do more for more people,” she said. “This is an opportunity to reflect on what we value and the change we want to see in our communities.”
