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Helping Helpers: Goldcorp boosts 10 local organizations (11 photos)

General manager challenges other partners to step up

There were tears and cheers as organizations helping the less fortunate received an early Christmas present.

Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines has donated $10,000 each to 10 groups working to feed and provide shelter for people in the community.

The announcement was made at the company’s Helping Helpers luncheon today at the Dante Club.

There were shocked gasps, tears and applause when Goldcorp general manager Marc Lauzon announced the injection of cash for the Good Samaritan Inn, Living Space, Project Love, Timmins Native Friendship Centre, South Porcupine Food Bank, HOPE Comfort Kits and Community Outreach, Timmins Food Bank, Lord’s Kitchen, Salvation Army, and the Yo! Mobile.

This year, Goldcorp sustainability manager Bryan Neeley said the company has donated about $700,000 to 100 to 150 different organizations in the community.

“One of the things that we noticed over the year, especially over the last six months, is the emerging issue of homelessness,” Neeley said.

So, they decided to do something about it.

The focus for this surprise donation was on groups helping the homeless, feeding the hungry, offering no-fee services, non-denominational, and that rely on community donations as a source of funding.

Growing up in Timmins, Lauzon learned the value of giving back early on.

He explained how at a young age he would go around to homes and pick up furniture for the church, where it would be sold. The money, he said, was used to provide needy families around Timmins Christmas baskets and offerings.

When Neeley approached Lauzier this year suggesting they needed to do something to help with the homeless situation, he said it was an opportunity to make the donation count.

And Lauzier has a challenge for other businesses.

“I really hope that other partners in the community…. will also come forward and put some money up for everyone,” he said.

For the Good Samaritan Inn, which suffered a devastating fire this year, the donation means being able to replace the flooring and build bunkbeds at the new shelter, according to executive director Ed Ligocki.

“I was totally blown away, $10,000 is going to go a long way in helping us out. I just have to say on behalf of the Good Samaritan, and for everybody else, you just couldn’t ask for a better community partner. There are great partners out there, Goldcorp is just absolutely fantastic,” he said.

Once the bunk beds are installed, he said they’ll have a capacity of 28 people at the new location on Bloor Street in South Porcupine.

Expecting to have double that need at Christmas, he said they’ll probably have to open the upstairs as well.

“We’re going to be open for full business in the next couple weeks. We have a few homeless at the shelter right now, but the rooms have to be finished first before they can move in. They’re all staying in the common area, so once the rooms are open we can bring everybody from the community into our shelter,” said Ligocki.