A Message from the Chairman, Sam Mercanti

Hope has made a difference in our life. Now it’s time to bring hope to others.

My parents, siblings, and I immigrated to Canada from Italy in 1956. The main reason that my parents decided to do this was to create a better opportunity and lifestyle for their children. We moved to a very small house in Hamilton, Ontario located in the north end of the city. Life was hard for my parents, but with their determination and hard work, we established a good life. Along with my brothers and sister, I was always taught to work hard, to give back to those in need, and to never give up hope for the future.

The concept of this charity started amongst our friends at our local YMCA. After some of our feisty handball games, we would collect $5 dollars from everyone and donate it to a child or a family that was in need. Then we started a bank account and began to help with requests through word of mouth. The first child we helped was an underprivileged immigrant girl who was in need of a pair of boots for winter. It seemed very small, but not to her. We gave her more than just a pair of boots. We gave her a ray of hope that someone cares and the assurance that the world is filled with good people.

We finally decided to make this charity official and give it a name: “The Charity of Hope”. It is our goal to increase the size of the charity each year so we can help more children in need.

Together we can make a difference and bring a little ray of hope to a lot of children.

Thank you for your support,
Sam Mercanti

The directors and officers of the Charity of Hope are as follows:
Sam Mercanti - President
Lynn Mercanti - Director
Roberto Ficzere - Director
George Lamparski - Secretary
Andre Couture - Treasurer


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