Raymond J. de Souza on COVID-19: Charities are facing a crunch, and government help is far from certain

The deadly coronavirus will be with us for some time. We need healthy charities to fight it.

The charitable sector has been doubly stretched during this pandemic. Most commercial businesses are suffering from a great reduction in sales, even if they are open. A great many are closed and so have little or no revenues. No sales, no work — so staff are laid off. Hence the government wage subsidy plan to keep the paycheques flowing.

For many charities, though, demand for their service has increased, due to the economic and social pain that has accompanied this health crisis. Food banks, homeless services, meal delivery to the disabled, practical aid for seniors, women’s shelters, mental health phone lines, poverty relief of all kinds — demand is up, up, up. But revenues and staffing levels are down.