CNFA is so very grateful to all of our donors. As a charity, donations and fundraising are critical to be able to continue our valuable work. We thank every individual, family, and business who have contributed.

Here is a story of one generous family:

The John and Betty Germain Foundation

John Germain was raised on a family farm in St. Paul, Alberta. Betty Allen was raised in a coal mining village in the north of England. They met in London while both served in the Canadian Army and were married there in 1945. They raised five children who now have children and grandchildren of their own.

In 2001, the family decided to forego Christmas presents for one another and use the money to contribute to the support of a Bosnian refugee family in Edmonton. Every Christmas since then, each sibling’s family chooses a worthy organization or cause for the extended family’s  annual donation. These have included organizations such as The Anorak Society, Operation Eyesight, Canadian Harambee (supporting girls’ education in Kenya), an orphanage in Taipei, a literacy program in Edmonton,  the Rotary Club’s wheelchair program and Canadian Nurses for Africa. Several times donations went to individual nurses and dentists who were part of medical teams visiting developing countries.

Donations have been matched in the last  five years by the Atco Group, an Alberta oil and gas company, as well as receiving an additional supplement from the John and Betty Germain Foundation, set up after John’s passing in 2013.