KW Poppy Fund worried mail strike could impact donations, again.

For the second year in a row, a labour dispute at Canada Post is causing concern with organizers of the KW Poppy Fund.

Each year, the Royal Canada Legion branches in Waterloo Region mail out around 100,000 donation envelopes with poppies.

It’s the most important fundraiser to the organization, and last year, the Canada Post strike took a bite out of the Poopy Fund’s totals because many people simply didn’t return their envelopes. It also delayed many donations from arriving.

This year, with the strike coming before the launch of the Poppy campaign, organizers worry donors won’t get the envelopes at all.

“It is very important these envelopes get out to our residents of KW to make sure that we’re able to get the donations we need to look after our veterans, number one. Number two, the hospitals we donate to as well,” said Gord Moore, a member of the KW Poppy Fund.

He was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show, along with KW Poppy Fund Chairman, Stan Howie.

Howie helped shed some light on how the Legion uses the money.

“Last year alone, I think we gave something like $126,000 to the local hospitals. Plus, we give all to the veterans. Any veteran who needs help with anything they come to us and we look after that. And then we have youth programs that we sponsor. So we spend a fair bit of money every year that we give out.”

Howie said he’s been disturbed by the growing number of reports of homeless veterans. Helping those individuals is a focus of the Legion.

But there is hope that things will be better than last year.

Howie said he’s had positive conversations with the union representing local postal workers.

“I’ve been talking to the local 560 there, and they said the poppies will go out this year, that there won’t be a problem.”

Still, Howie said they have been looking at alternatives, just in case.

While the KW Poppy Fund hasn’t set an official target for donations this year, Moore put the number at around $160,000.