Non-Profit Week of Appreciation bill proposed by Richmond Hill MPP passes unanimously

Week in February helps close the recognition gap for important, but overlooked sector

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 5, 2022
Yoyo Yan

More than one million people work in Ontario's non-profit sector. They are highly skilled, well-educated, and widely credited with helping the most vulnerable in our communities, especially through the pandemic.

But unlike essential front-line workers in other sectors, non-profit staff go unrecognized for their contributions. That changed when Bill 9: An Act to Proclaim Non-Profit Sector Appreciation Week passed third reading in the Ontario legislature with unanimous, all-party support in December.

"We all need to appreciate the hard-working professionals in the non-profit sector, especially during the pandemic period when its services are so much needed and volunteers and donations have dropped," said Daisy Wai, MPP for Richmond Hill.

"The Non-Profit Sector Appreciation Week will help ignite the passion and the performance of workers who are understandably exhausted and feeling burned out. We need to celebrate these Invisible champions in our communities. Their sense of dedication, powered by their personal vision and mission has supported them through many challenges, but our appreciation and support for them will go a long way."

Bill 9, which was championed by MPP Wai through a Private Member's Bill, will see the Non-Profit Sector Week of Appreciation take place the third week of February in perpetuity. The first appreciation week will take place Feb. 14-20, 2022.

The week is intended to recognize the exceptional individuals in the non-profit sector whose work transforms the lives of individuals, families, and communities, as they work alongside communities.

The Bhayana Family Foundation, in partnership with United Way of Greater Toronto and the Ontario Nonprofit Network, originally hatched the idea for a provincewide week of recognition for the staff in their sector.

Ontario's non-profit sector is the largest in Canada. There are more than 58,000 registered charities and non-profit in the province, employing more than one million people. The non-profit sector is also a major economic driver in Ontario, generating over $50 billion annually for the economy.