In my recent issue of Canadian Sailings I found this appeal below which you be may interested to help in. Get your organization to give a $1000, and the organization could have its logo on one of the vehicles. Keewl !
MARINERS' HOUSE of Montreal and its predecessors have been assisting seafarers calling at the Port of Montreal since 1862. Last year, we were able to give friendly, practical support to 12,000 seafarers visiting our centre while transporting 14,000 to and from their ships. We offer many services at the centre including placing phone calls, sending money transfers, Internet and recreational facilities.
Our two vehicles, a nine-passenger GM Astro van and a fifteen-passenger Dodge Ram, are used everyday to visit ships docked along the Montreal waterfront and again each evening when we pick up the seafarers and bring them to the centre.
After seven years of use, traveling over many miles of port road every day of the week, both vehicles are suffering from mechanical wear and tear and becoming more than a little treacherous to drive. Not only are repairs becoming more expensive than we can afford, the safety of - the seafarers we are transporting must be considered.
In the past, the International Transport Workers' Federation generously sponsored the purchase of new vehicles every four years but now this organization has decided to only financially assist centres located in third world countries.
Therefore, the directors' of Mariners' House have decided to launch this appeal to Montreal's shipping community to combine our efforts and collect the funds required to obtain two replacement vehicles.
Every donation is eligible for a charitable tax receipt. Moreover, the names of benefactors will be placed on a 'Donor Honour Roll', to be updated and published weekly in Canadian Sailings, and will remain on the roll throughout the campaign with all the positive publicity that their generosity is certain to attract.
We are very grateful to Canadian Sailings for participating in this enterprise and helping us to achieve our goal.
This is a wonderful opportunity to not only assist our local seafarers' centre, thereby contributing to the welfare of those on whom we all rely, but also to obtain publicity in the best publication to serve the transportation industry. We hope you will take advantage of this offer and took forward to keeping you updated on the progress of this appeal.