What a Volunteer Can Do: Grillin' for a Cause in Canada

On August 16th, Canadians in Toronto brought the summer to a close with a great time and a great cause in the backyard of a local volunteer who organized an event with fun, games, music, a BBQ, and an introduction to sponsoring a child through Coptic Orphans.

Over 150 people flowed in throughout the afternoon and evening, taking advantage of the opportunity to mingle with people from different communities and participate in raising money for a cause. Between tunes, a DJ drew attention to the donation table and auction items as new people arrived.

By 6:00pm the area was packed. At dusk the crowd settled around in a half-circle in front of the screen set up outside to watch videos about the 20th anniversary of Coptic Orphans and two major programs: the Not Alone program and Serve to Learn. At the end, guests braved a hungry swarm of mosquitoes as they filled out sponsorship and donation cards.

The event brought in a total of $7,000 for the cause of children in Egypt, with 17 children gaining sponsors. Manal Bedwany, director of the Canada office, reflected: “I can seriously say that for that blessed day, God was our GPS as He should always be.” The one-time donations and sponsorships will support children in Egypt with access to basic rights such as food, health, housing, and literacy as well as advocacy and mentorship to help them become full and productive citizens.

Special thanks to Michael Mikhail and his friends, the dedicated volunteers who brought the event all together and made it such a tremendous success. This event has shown the huge impact that a volunteer can make for children in Egypt.

If you would also like to volunteer by organizing a fundraising event for Coptic Orphans, contact us.