Volunteer St. John's Make a Difference in Your Community

January is Braille Literacy Month in Canada, a time to recognize braille as a cornerstone of literacy, learning, and independence for people who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision. That’s where your hands can help. Funds raised through Braille Nails will help support CNIB’s braille literacy programs, ensuring they have access to instruction, materials, and tools that allow them to learn to read and write independently. Just as we would never question the importance of print literacy for sighted children, children who are blind deserve the same foundation for success.

Every holiday season, a Nova Scotia man has completed a dozen dares in honour of his late cousin. “We just finished up our 10th year of the 12 Dares of Christmas. Another successful year, lots of great donations, and lots of support from people sharing and liking videos, so, yeah, pretty happy with how this year went.,” said Eric Anstey of Lower Sackville. As part of the challenge, Anstey has gone paddle boarding in First Lake in the winter, rode around Mic Mac Mall dressed as the Grinch and even gotten a tattoo. One year, he was even dared to dress up as CTV News Atlantic’s Katie Kelly.

Many individuals seeking support have turned to The Salvation Army for food, clothing and practical assistance, with more than three million visits reported last year in Canada and Bermuda. Donors continue to play a crucial role in helping The Salvation Army provide essential services in 400 communities across Canada.