What could the $200,000 raised for Ford video contribute to charity

Efforts continue by Gawker.com to raise the supposed $200,000 price tag for the alleged video showing Mayor Rob Ford smoking from a crack pipe.

Using a crowd-funding site to gather the funds, Gawker is now almost there with approximately $170,000 already raised by public donation.

If those donating gave that money to charity instead, however, some experts are saying it could have a huge impact.

The $200,000, for example, could bring clean drinking water to approximately 10 schools or clinics through the Charity Water Project.

Or if the money were donated closer to home, here at Toronto’s Covenant House, for example, it could have a major impact.

“Two-hundred thousand dollars would provide twenty nights of help here at Covenant House for our kids – shelter, safety, food, clothing and counselling – it would go a long way,” said Christine Foisy-Monk of Covenant House.

Those services would be provided to almost 100 teens, while Covenant House helps an estimated 3,500 homeless teens a year.

In a city where housing is at a premium, Ene Underwood with Habitat for Humanity says they could build two homes for two hard-working low-income families in Toronto.

“In families that do realize affordable home ownership through Habitat, their children do better in school and have a higher rate of progressing to post-secondary education, and the income of the parents often goes up,” Underwood said.

At the food bank, meanwhile, $200,000 would mean 2,000 hot meals for 80 people through the Daily Bread Food Bank‘s kitchen program.

You can find the Rob Ford crowd-funding campaign here.

An editor with Gawker.com may have scared some people from donating money when earlier this week he said the site hadn’t been able to contact the video owners since last Sunday.

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