“We are grateful for the generosity of the Catholic community toward the 2014 ShareLife appeal,” said Peters, ShareLife’s executive director. “Our parishioners contributed $12.261 million. While slightly less than our 2013 achievement ($14.3 million), the strength of the Catholic community in providing care toward their brothers and sisters in Christ has once again been demonstrated through their support of ShareLife this year.” 

Annually ShareLife conducts a fundraising campaign across the Archdiocese of Toronto which targets the entire Catholic community from parishioners to corporations and even the school boards that fall within the catchment area. The campaign is broken down into three sub-campaigns — Parish, Corporate and Schools — which in total collected more than $14 million this year, said Peters. 

This money is spread among more than 40 Catholic social service agencies which support anyone in need in the archdiocese regardless of religious affiliation or beliefs. 

Peters said 90 cents from every dollar donated finds its way to one of these agencies, who combined serve an estimated 96,000 people. 

“Parishioners, corporations and schools who contribute to ShareLife can be assured that we are responsible stewards of donor dollars and ensure that the needs of the agencies are front and centre in all of the decision that we make,” he said. 

Despite the shortfall, Peters said ShareLife is prepared to fulfil the 2014 allocations. 

“While we experienced a shortfall this year when compared to 2013, the advisory board and trustees are committed to fulfilling the 2014 allocations made to our agencies in the fall of 2013 and will do so,” he said. “(Then) the Allocations Committee, advisory board and trustees will review the results of the 2014 campaign and make decisions on the 2015 allocations in the fall of this year.” 

And Peters, who had been visiting locations in the Philippines this August where Canadian Catholic dollars are helping repair the “devastation” caused by Typhoon Haiyan last November, is as excited as ever to get the ball rolling and the dollars flowing. 

“We will begin our 2015 corporate, school and employee efforts this fall and start to plan for the 2015 ShareLife campaign which will start in our parishes in February,” he said. “We are very blessed in the archdiocese that our Catholic community really does embrace the call to be the hands of Christ to those in need. When they’ve been asked to support the charitable work of the Church our parishioners have done so and done so generously.”