Dear members of the community, supporters and friends,

With the arrival of a New Year, comes an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the year that has passed and welcome the possibility of the year that is yet to unfold.

Last year we faced COVID-19, in which many lives were lost, families were thrust into health and financial anxiety and disruption and most importantly the disparity of wealth was exposed with poverty becoming an impending reality for most members of our community, both locally and internationally. The IDRF community and it’s friends and supporters rose to meet these challenges with generosity, comradery and courage. Your support enabled IDRF to respond to the essential needs of hundreds of thousands of people, both here at home and abroad, where many of the most underserved and at-risk communities reside. Despite the mobility restrictions of COVID-19, we were able to continue our delivery of relief and healthcare aid to over 203,000 people, including to our cherished frontline workers, elders, and vulnerable in the community. In addition, through our development programs we were able to continue to feed over 398,000 people, provide water to 215,300 people, establish sustainable income generation for over 1,400 people, and help 6,000 youth across Canada. All of this has been a testament to the commitment and compassion of all our donors, partners, volunteers, and staff.

For the new year, IDRF is committing to increase our efforts to continue to serve as many communities as possible, while upholding our responsibility of transparency and trusted governance in our programs and of your donations. For us, this responsibility is a sacred trust, premised on sincerity, integrity, transparency, accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness. In addition, IDRF will strive to maintain our overall level of excellence, as one of Canada’s Top 100 charities as recognized by Maclean’s, Moneysense and Charity Intelligence. We believe that this honour is a direct result of your continued generosity and support and the transparent relationship with our donors.

It is becoming clear that the pandemic will continue to impact humanitarian, environmental, economic, and social needs around the world in the coming months. With your ongoing support, we will continue to work hard to provide much needed support for vulnerable populations. To enable IDRF to meet these growing challenges, we have expanded the scope of the board of director’s executive function. IDRF has appointed two Co-Chairs, Reza Rizvi and Yasmeena Mohamed and two Vice-Chairs, Marzia Habib-Hassan and Muhammad Munshi. The expansion of the Board’s executive membership will further strengthen IDRF’s ability to expeditiously respond to the challenges ahead, save lives, build communities, and strengthen our relationship with our donors and donees.

Please contact us with any questions you may have. We always welcome the opportunity to connect with you personally. Please continue to stay safe and take care of your health and each other.

Thank you for all your support and for giving us an opportunity to serve. Together, we can make a difference.

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed and prosperous year ahead.

Yours in service,