Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, I rise today to highlight the work of S.H.A.R.E. Agriculture Foundation and the importance of charity.

S.H.A.R.E., otherwise known as Sending Help And Resources Everywhere, was founded in 1976 by a small group of farmers with the assistance of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s Agriculture Representative for Peel, Bob Bell, and then‑Minister of Agriculture William A. Stewart.

S.H.A.R.E is committed to enabling impoverished agricultural‑based communities to improve their quality of life by supporting projects that contribute to economic, social and environmental development and sustainability.

Over the last five decades, this not-for-profit organization has supported countless families in Brazil, the Caribbean and Africa, and more recently in Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Haiti, Bolivia and even across the world in Cambodia.

I am proud to share that the work of S.H.A.R.E. is almost exclusively delivered by passionate and committed volunteers, many with decades of commitment to the organization, and made possible by the support of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. I personally have followed and supported the work of S.H.A.R.E for over 25 years. I know first-hand the great work they do, and I am hopeful that they will continue to support agricultural communities in need around the world.

S.H.A.R.E and many other charities and non-profit organizations support every aspect of Canadian life. In fact, in our 2019 report, the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector found that demand for services has increased, yet funding continues to be constrained. This has become even more true as we continue to face the threat of COVID-19.

Honourable colleagues, S.H.A.R.E Agriculture Foundation was founded upon the core principle that it provides “a hand up, not a hand out,” which has generated long-term sustainability in the support that it provides to communities in need around the world. I am hopeful that, as a nation, we will continue to uphold such values in our own country and abroad.

Thank you. Meegwetch.

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