When my dog Lucy was young we volunteered as a therapy dog team in a seniors’ home, visiting people with Alzheimer’s. Some people didn't respond but others perked right up when we came into the room.

I always brought a dog brush because many of the seniors loved to groom Lucy even though their hands were very weak. For people who were totally dependent on others, it was a rare opportunity for them to offer care to another being.

Humans need connection—it’s what brings meaning to our lives. But it only works when it’s a two-way street.

Imagine if a business was forced to shut down and restart its operations every year. The owners would have to fire their staff, turn away their customers, and lock their doors. Then, after a few weeks or months, they’d start all over again: restocking shelves, rehiring and training new staff, and trying to win back customers. Clearly, that’s no way to run a business. Yet thousands of nonprofit organizations across Canada rely on year-to-year funding contracts to run their programs, often forcing staff to cancel programs only months after launching them.