About a year ago I made a conscious choice to donate to charities that had a low administrative cost, supported my local community and was something that aligned with my belief system. VEAP has a great rating in terms of accountability and transparency. I feel comfortable knowing that the majority of my donation goes towards programs and services that support people in need in my community.
My husband & I have 3 young children with another on the way. My husband has a good job and I am fortunate enough to do what I’ve always wanted to do which is stay home to take care of my kids. I am well aware that one tragedy (or even one mistake) can drastically change our situation. When I was 11 years old, my Dad died of a sudden heart attack leaving my Mom as the sole provider of 8 children (5 still living at home). Did she worry about paying the bills? Absolutely. Did we ever go without? Amazingly enough, never. It is always in the back of my mind that my young family’s circumstances can change in an instant so I never take our current lifestyle for granted. I donate to VEAP now, but I know that one day I can be in need of the services that VEAP has to offer as well.
With such young children under my care, it’s difficult to volunteer my time so at this stage of my life, my husband & I decided to give monetarily. As my children grow up and become less dependent, I hope to volunteer more and even volunteer with my children! VEAP is one charity that I plan to check out first when it comes to volunteering my time in the future. I am happy that there is a place like VEAP in my community for those that fall on hard times and my husband & I are proud to support VEAP.
-Laurie, a VEAP donor
