The name says it all: 100 Men who Give a Damn.
There are branches in Newfoundland and Labrador, Guelph, Waterloo, and in North Carolina.
Now there’s a branch in Innisfil.
It’s a grassroots charity that demonstrates the power of collective giving. The idea is to meet quarterly for an hour or so in a social setting, when each member donates $100.
If a branch can sign up a full 100 members, that translates into $10,000 in a single meeting – money that is then earmarked for local charities and can have a positive impact on local communities.
The Innisfil branch was established in October, with only 10 or 11 members – but has grown rapidly since its first meeting at an Alcona restaurant, and now stands at nearly 100 members.
Earlier this week, the branch gave away its first $3,800. A total of $400 went to the Salvation Army’s Bayside Mission in Barrie; another $400 to Habitat for Humanity Huronia.
But 80 percent of the donation, or $3,000, went to what the members felt was the most appropriate charity at this holiday time of year: Innisfil Christmas For Kids (all year round). The charity provides Christmas gifts to children and their families who are facing financial need this holiday season, as well as birthday programs and emergency food gifts, year-round.
It was the 100 Men Who Give a Damn membership that voted to make the donation, ensuring that local families will get a visit from Santa this year.
100 Men Who Give a Damn has inspired spinoffs and variations on the theme. There are 100 Women Who Give a Damn groups, co-ed 100 People who Give a Damn; even 100 Mortgage Brokers who Give a Damn – all dedicated to making a difference, through the power of collective giving.
The Innisfil chapter has moved its quarterly meetings to the Lefroy-Belle Ewart Legion Hall “until we outgrow it,” says Wayne Clements. For more information, click here.