The Community Foundation of northwest Alberta hopes to spread a little good cheer and raise money for the not-for-profit sector across the Grande Prairie region.
The Community Gratuity Project is a part social media campaign that will have videos and messages of appreciation and kindness posted on various foundation social media platforms, and part fundraiser, with donations for the Community Foundation’s COVID-19 response fund being accepted.
CEO Laura LaValley says with how volatile some aspects of social media can be, they hope that an influx of kindness will help create a chain reaction of positivity.
“Social media has certainly been inundated with divisive topics over the last year and a half and we just wanted to find a way to spread some positivity, kindness, and appreciation across our social media channels and sort of brightening up that platform a little bit more for people,” she says.
“We really hope it catches on, and people grab on to the sentiment of it, [because] it’s really easy to share once those Facebook and Instragam posts are up on our social media channels.”
LaValley says the funds raised from the event are as important now as they were at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to the needs of organizations across the not-for-profit sector.
“We started the fund back in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, but we see that those needs are continuing, and likely will continue far beyond the health restrictions,” she says.
“Really looking to bolster that fund and most of all put some positivity, reminding people we all have a lot of things to be thankful for right now,” she adds.
The Community Gratuity Project will run until December 15th, and you can find more information on the Community Foundation of northwest Alberta website.