As winter closes in, thousands of families across Canada - including those newly arrived from Gaza and Sudan - will face the cold without the warm clothing they need to stay safe.
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Rising costs are pushing many over the edge into poverty. When faced with the impossible choice between paying for heat, food or rent, the winter essentials needed to make it through our harsh winters often get left behind.
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In these coldest months, your local giving can wrap them in warmth, providing winter jackets, boots, and other essentials. ‍

At Risk of Cold This Winter

Families across Canada are being forced to make impossible choices—turning off the heat to save money, cutting back on groceries to cover rent, and in some cases, huddling in their cars because they have nowhere else to go.
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And in the midst of these struggles, one necessity is often out of reach: warm winter clothing to protect them from the cold.

2.3 million Canadians kept their homes at unsafe temperatures last year because heating was unaffordable

(Statistics Canada)

Nearly half of Canadians reported struggling to cover daily expenses

(Statistics Canada)

1 in 7 had to forgo essentials like food or medicine just to pay an energy bill

(Statistics Canada)

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How You Can Help

$75

Protects one person with a warm jacket this winter

$250

Provides a complete winter kit with jacket, gloves, hat, and boots

$500

Equips an entire family with full winter kits to stay warm

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Why We Need Your Support

Winter Clothing is Not a Luxury

Nearly half of Canadians are struggling to cover their day-to-day expenses (Statistics Canada).

For newly arrived evacuees from Gaza and Sudan, the struggle is even more stark. Many are facing their first harsh winter in Canada. Many don’t even have the winter essentials we take for granted.

‍Winter clothing is not a luxury - without it, children risk missing school, parents cannot safely work, and families are left vulnerable to the cold.

By providing winter kits to local Muslim families, you give them the dignity they deserve, and the essentials they need before the cold takes hold.

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Update | Palestinian Students & Scholars Need Your Support

National Zakat Foundation Canada has partnered with PSSAR (Palestinian Students & Scholars at Risk). PSSAR is dedicated to connecting Palestinian students with academic opportunities in Canada, providing them a chance to rebuild their lives through education. With your support, National Zakat Foundation can further support these students and scholars by addressing their critical needs, including food, housing, and utilities to ensure they can focus on their academic growth and personal healing. Learn more and donate here.

Your continued support is needed today.

Gaza evacuees, including students and scholars urgently need support with food, accommodation and general resettlement needs.Your donations will help us ensure that all those who have escaped the constant terror in Gaza are provided with a successful settlement journey in Canada and a safe and dignified future.

*This program is Zakat-eligible.

Give to Support Gaza Evacuees

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FAQs

Answering Your Questions

Is this cause Zakat-eligible?

Yes, each of our programs is thoroughly vetted by our advisory board to ensure that Zakat funds are being used in alignment with the Shariah and all funds collected for winter clothing will be distributed to Zakat-eligible Muslim families across Canada.

Winter clothing is a basic need in modern times and Zakat is intended to alleviate hardships and help fulfill these basic needs for individuals and families.
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As for paying the Zakat in kind or using the money to buy clothing items or supplies for poor families, it has been approved within the Hanafi school of thought, and it was also the choice of ibn Taymiyyah if there is a genuine benefit (مصلحة حقيقية) for the poor and the needy in this arrangement. Allah knows best.

How can I calculate my Zakat?

Need help calculating your Zakat? Use our Zakat Calculator.

How will my donation be used?

Your donation will be used to help provide winter essentials, including jackets, boots, hats, and gloves, to vulnerable Muslim families in Canada.

Can I apply for help?

If you are in need of assistance this winter, please find details on eligibility and how to apply here.

Can I donate winter clothing or other items in-kind?

At this time, we are only accepting in-kind donations through our program partners. If you’d like to contribute items such as winter clothing, please contact us at info@nzfcanada.com for more information on how to donate through our partner network.

Your donations will be directed to providing winter essentials and support to families in need. Any excess funds will be directed towards supporting eligible beneficiaries as most urgently needed.

Qur’an and Hadith

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:

“The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to the people. And the most beloved deed to Allah is to make a Muslim happy, or to remove one of his troubles, or to forgive his debt, or to feed his hunger.”

Tabarani

Support Families with Winter Essentials

At Risk of Cold This Winter

How You Can Help

Why We Need Your Support

Winter Clothing is Not a Luxury

Update | Palestinian Students & Scholars Need Your Support

Your continued support is needed today.

Answering Your Questions

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:

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