Online fundraisers to help British Columbians experiencing or at risk of homelessness have increased 12 per cent in the past year on the GoFundMe platform.聽
And sa国际传媒 has the fourth highest number of such campaigns on the GoFundMe platform, behind Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria.聽
鈥淲ith the election this Saturday, this issue is top of mind for voters and candidates alike. The increasing number of homelessness-related campaigns in sa国际传媒 highlights broader economic pressures, including the rising cost of living,鈥 states a Tuesday release from GoFundMe.
The release, timed to coincide with Homelessness Action Week, also says just over $4 million has been raised through 4,259 GoFundMe appeals in the past five years to provide direct financial assistance to people who are homeless, or at risk of losing their home.聽
GoFundMe has created a dedicated page for people wanting to provide direct financial support for British Columbians struggling with existing or potential homelessness.聽
Currently, the page includes an appeal from a jobless West sa国际传媒 man and his wife, who can鈥檛 work because of epilepsy, hoping to raise $5,000. 鈥淲e hate being in this position but it has come down to the point where we are likely on the verge of being evicted,鈥 the man writes in his GoFundMe appeal.聽
Another appeal, by friends of a single sa国际传媒 mom who hopes to buy a converted van or bus for her and her six-year-old son to live in, has raised $855 of the $15,000 goal.聽
To directly help these and other people, see GoFundMe and search for 鈥楤ritish Columbians rally to end homelessness鈥.聽
The full list of the top 10 cities with the most GoFundMe fundraising appeals related to homelessness is Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria, sa国际传媒, Burnaby, Abbotsford, Nanaimo, Chilliwack, Langley, and Kamloops.聽
The Homeless Hub website says there were 297 homeless people in sa国际传媒 in 2020. But an estimate produced by the provincial government in 2022, using its own data, put the number at 999.
