Consumers have choice whether to buy Canada Post's fundraising stamps
A stamp that Canada Post issued to help raise money for the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health.
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The Editor,
Re. "Stamps no way to fundraise" (The Tri-City News, Oct. 14).
Canada Post is pleased letter writer Maggie Fankboner is aware of the need to support mental health as it's an issue that affects six million, or one in five, Canadians. Canada Post raised more than $1 million last year for the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health through donations from Canadians and employees, and the sale of our previous special commemorative stamp.
It's important to recognize that buying the mental health stamp — and paying an extra dollar for a book of stamps to support the cause — is strictly a voluntary act. Anyone who does not wish to pay the extra 10 cents a stamp (or $1 per book of 10) can simply buy any of the other stamps we offer at regular price.
As for using this means of fundraising, we feel a stamp is a great way to raise awareness of an issue that is so heavily stigmatized that many would rather suffer in silence than admit to having the disease. Canadians showed us last year they were ready to embrace this issue as our first mental health stamp raised more than $340,000 for the foundation.
The foundation is currently distributing grants to 20 mental health organizations across Canada, front-line organizations that are helping children, families, seniors and others cope with mental illness. Three of those grant recipients are based in B.C. — the Crossroads Crisis Centre in Comox Valley, the BC Schizophrenia Society and the Richmond branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association — and will receive grants totalling more than $127,000.
We hope our customers will continue to show their support for this important issue through the purchase of this stamp as there is still much work to be done and many people to be helped. For those who choose not to, many other stamps issued by Canada Post are available at the regular price.
Cindy Daoust, Canada Post
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