LITE (Local Investment Toward Employment)

LITE is a charitable foundation that focuses on community economic development in Winnipeg's inner-city. Countless charities in Winnipeg assist people with immediate needs like food, temporary shelter and the like, but the best way to break the cycle of poverty is long term employment at a wage you can live on to be able to provide for themselves and their families. We can prove that people want to work, but it’s not as simple as it sounds to get a job. Many residents experience huge challenges when it comes to employment. These barriers make it difficult to get – and keep – a job, even when employment is available. This is why LITE directs donations to support jobs, and more importantly, to help people who want to overcome the challenges they face. Our name says it all: We invest locally toward employment. We are more than a charity. Our small grants provide partner agencies in the community with some of the funds they need for training and employment programs. Our purchases for the Alternative Christmas Hampers are made at inner city businesses that employ local people and invest their earnings back into the community. Our Social Purchasing Portal helps grow the inner city economy by linking community-minded purchasers (both corporate and individual) with ethical and community focused businesses that also hire locally. Our fundraising work: We raise funds to support our partners in several ways. Our staff and volunteers make presentations to Winnipeg businesses, workplaces, churches, schools, clubs, and other interested groups. We also host the Wild Blueberry Pancake Breakfast each year. This event is a celebration of community and a major fundraising event for our Alternative Christmas Hampers.