Call to action
CRA employees care. CRA has made it clear that they do not.
As a union we often take actions to let the employer know that we are not happy, and we have had many members reach out to express their disappointment with RTO3 and other recent employer decisions.
The Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) has decided not to participate in the CRA charitable campaign (CRA CC) this year for 2 reasons:
- the agency knows that employees are not happy with this unilateral decision to return to office 3 days a week, but have made it clear that they don’t care about what we want and need; and
- for too long, CRA has taken credit for our members’ generosity to the CRA CC just as they do for our hard work year-round. They take all the credit and refuse to treat us fairly.
This year UTE Local 00014 is launching an initiative with CRA-employed members of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) to demonstrate our solidarity with our local community around food security. PIPSC and UTE are working collaboratively to support Hamilton FoodShare and Gore Park Community Outreach by raising food and funds over the next several months.
Join us in solidarity with community.
If you would like to make a financial donation, you can do that here, and Hamilton FoodShare will issue a charitable donation receipt for donations over $20. If you prefer to donate non-perishable food items to GPCO, you can sign up here and we will reach out to you.
HOW TO: make a truly helpful foodbank donation
One of the best ways to plan an effective foodbank donation is to think about what you consume in a day. Are you a “don’t talk to me before my coffee” kind of person? So are a lot of folks who are experiencing food insecurity. Do you have family members who take their lunch to school, daycare, work, etc.? So do a lot of families who do not have adequate food choices. Are you diabetic, recovering from surgery, experiencing mental health challenges that make it hard to want to eat regularly? Did you wash your face, or use toilet paper, or put lotion on your hands this morning? You get the idea.
DON’T donate
- expired items
- unsealed packages
- cans that have been frozen
- fresh/perishable foods unless you confirm that the recipient has the capacity to store it safely
DO donate
- cans and tetra packs: they’re easier to stack, store, and transport than glass containers.
- foods compatible with a variety of dietary needs and preferences: Halal, vegetarian, peanut-free, etc.
- “fun” foods as well as nutritional staples – coffee and tea are really popular with adult food bank users and everyone enjoys a snack now and again. Obviously, these aren’t priority items in terms of meeting people’s core nutritional needs but they are a simple way of acknowledging the fact that people experiencing food insecurity are just regular people who sometimes dig a chocolate bar, or other snacky option.
- basic hygiene items for people of all ages and genders: menstrual products and adult incontinence products are always in high demand and short supply; soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner, oral care products, deodorant, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, etc. are always needed.
- pantry staples: cooking oil, sugar, salt, spices, and baking supplies make it much easier to turn a potentially random collection of ingredients from the food bank into a satisfying meal.
- reuseable grocery bags to facilitate getting foodbank allocations home.
Hamilton Foodshare’s “Items of Most Importance” list