(Ottawa, ON) – September 23, 2021– The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) would like to recognize the donation made by Alex Smith and Liz Ogilvie of Hair Junkie and Linda Hoang from Spa Junkie. In light of the recent events, these two organizations have raised $1,200 in support of LHF’s efforts in promoting healing and Reconciliation in Canada.

“We are so grateful for the fundraising efforts of the folks at Hair Junkie and Spa Junkie. The outpouring of heartfelt support from Canadian businesses has been so affirming that people want to learn and to create a brighter future for this country now that they are more aware of Canada’s real history surrounding Indigenous Peoples,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel at the LHF.

For over 21 years, the LHF has worked tirelessly to educate Canadians on the history and reality of the trauma that Survivors of Residential and Day Schools continue to experience. Working together with Survivors, their families, their communities as well as allies, this national, Indigenous-led charity has had a main goal to encourage healing and hope while addressing discriminatory practices that Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis) continue to endure. In order to see the effects of Reconciliation in action, we must create an environment in which Indigenous Peoples will be treated with equality, dignity, and respect.

The LHF is celebrated their 21-year anniversary as a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential and Day School System, Sixties Scoop, and other colonial acts of oppression on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis) Peoples. The LHF has 25 exhibitions that are available for loan for free. One of our newer exhibitions, Escaping Residential Schools: Running for their Lives, is now available through an animated virtual video, along with the Survivors’ Oral Testimonies. The exhibition examines the experience of Survivors of the Residential School System and raises awareness on the impacts it has on our communities. For more information on the project, please visit: https://legacyofhope.ca/project/escapingrs/ The LHF is working on making its other exhibitions also available on line.

LHF also has curriculum from K-12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops and Training, and podcasts aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential and Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the links to issues such as the high rates of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, etc. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism and foster Reconciliation in Canada.