On a recent trip to Ethiopia, Douglas Stollery was able to see first-hand how Care is helping.
The donor: Douglas Stollery
The gift: $500,000
The cause: Care Canada
The reason: To fund development projects around the world
When Douglas Stollery was considering retiring from his job as general counsel at Edmonton-based PCL Constructors Inc. last year, he began looking for something to help occupy his time.
He soon found Care Canada, joined the charity's board and became co-chairman of its national fundraising campaign. Mr. Stollery went further and contributed $500,000 to Care from the Stollery Charitable Foundation.
"I think [Care] is one of the leading development organizations in the world," said Mr. Stollery, who splits his time between Edmonton and Vancouver. "There is just a huge need in the world."
Mr. Stollery recently travelled to Ethiopia to visit some projects funded by Care. In one village, Care was helping locals diversify their nutrition by introducing vegetables, eggs and other food groups to help improve overall health. Other projects included promoting breast feeding, developing clean water systems and building latrines.
"It was really a very emotional experience," Mr. Stollery said, adding that the trip gave him a new perspective on development aid. "These projects will help, hopefully, to change lives forever."
Paul Waldie