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OCAP: Support the June Fundraising Days

SUPPORT THE ONTARIO COALITION AGAINST POVERTY: Participate in our June Fundraising Days

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty has been bringing the homeless, unemployed and working poor together to defend each other and take on the powers responsible for creating poverty for over 15 years. In that time we have organized to take over buildings, stop deportations, defend individuals against landlords or abusive shelters and most recently taken millions of dollars from the Ontario Government and put it in the pockets of welfare and ODSP recipients in every corner of this province.

This is an exciting time for OCAP. Our organization is expanding with the opening of a new office based in the Somali community of North Etobicoke called the OCAP Women of Etobicoke. At the same time the Ontario Common Front is expanding as a provincial network with new groups starting and others growing.

In this climate we are calling for a month long fundraising initiative this June. We will be organizing our annual Rummage sale as well as a photo exhibition, film nights and a benefit show. The real heart of the funding drive however will come from individuals or groups who demonstrate their support by doing a workplace collection, signing on to our Sustainers Program, organizing a fundraiser or just contributing in some way.

We urge all of our supporters to come together this June to demonstrate support for our work and help us to expand and continue to move forward.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

• Participate Personally- If you are a band, play us a show; if you are an artist, sell a painting for us. Organize workplace collections, bring colleagues or neighbours together to learn about OCAP and support us. Whoever you are- you can help us.

• Join the OCAP Sustainers Program- Already dozens of people contribute to OCAP on a monthly basis. This allows us to do long range financial planning. In order to become a sustainer all you need to do is send us a voided cheque and a letter explaining how much you would like to contribute on a monthly basis. We can then arrange for an automatic transfer from your account to ours. Any amount helps. Call for more information.

• Donate your old clothes, books and random odds and ends to our Annual Rummage Sale (details below). To arrange a pick up call Mike D at 416 925 6939 or just bring your stuff out on Saturday June 24th. Also get in touch if you can offer storage space prior to the sale.

SPECIAL JUNE EVENTS ALREADY CONFIRMED:

RAISE THE RATES FILM AND DISCUSSION NIGHT
Sunday June 4th at 7pm
Innis Town Hall- 2 Sussex Avenue (corner of Sussex and St. George)
Tickets are $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Advance tickets are available
at OPIRG-UofT (563 Spadina Ave) or at the OCAP Office.

The Raise the Rates campaign is central to the work of OCAP right now. Over the past year the Special Diet Clinics have put millions of extra dollars into poor communities. This evening will focus on examining the Raise the Rates campaign so far and will include a panel discussion and the debut screening of a new documentary on the campaign- “Raise the Rates”.

OCAP PHOTO EXHIBIT
All of June- Opening Thursday June 8th
Tinto’s Coffee House- 89 Roncesvalles (just north of Queen Street)
By donation.

Over the past 15 years OCAP has gone from Mulroneyville to the Days of Action to Squeegee Actions and the Safe Park to June 15th and the Fall Campaign and beyond to the Raise the Rates campaign. The photographs and posters from this history will be on display beginning on Thursday June 8th and continuing for the rest of the month. Our Opening Night will feature a presentation on the History of OCAP and a discussion of where we are heading.

OCAP ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE
Saturday June 24th
Starting at 9:00am
At Dufferin Grove Park (off Dufferin, just south of Bloor- across from
Dufferin Mall)

Every year one of our biggest fundraising events is our Rummage Sale. This year the event will be taking place at Dufferin Grove Park but we need your help. Please donate any household items, books, clothes or random things to OCAP- preferably bring them out on the day of the event or if you can’t, call Mike D at 416 925 6939 to arrange a pick up. Of Course- On June 24th come out and do your shopping with OCAP!

More Events to be Confirmed Soon!


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Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
10 Britain St. Toronto, ON M5A 1R6
416-925-6939 ocap@tao.ca www.ocap.ca
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posted by Annamarie at 4:55 PM