1948 - Giving back goes global in a big way
The end of the 1940s brought on a wave of global give-back efforts for the IOF. It all started in 1948 with the Toronto High Courts fundraising food boxes to support English families during Easter. As the decades went on, the IOF turned its efforts to large-scale support for charities, retirement communities and global campaigns during the Vietnam War.
Support for life-changing causes
In the 1960s, courts in Canada, the US and the UK had raised close to two million dollars for a number of charities, benefiting different powerful causes. It was during this time that the true meaning of a fraternal benefit society shifted. The focus of the IOF had officially changed from only looking out for our members to giving back to people around the world.
In Canada, the Winnipeg, Ontario court donated a special typewriter to the Isbister School for Deaf and Mute Children in the city. The typewriter was a great educational tool that would help the children learn and grow.
A standout charity that was supported by Foresters in the UK at the time, was the Royal National Lifeboat Institute - the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the UK, Ireland and more. Fundraising from Foresters helped purchase various equipment to help with rescues and other functions of the organization.
In California, the Lopez Canyon home for elderly members was torn down and turned into a state-of-the-art retirement community named the California Haven.
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One of the earliest examples of IOF's now global fraternal spirit came in the form of the Send Over Soap Program. At the height of the Vietnam War, civilians in the South of Vietnam needed different forms of aid. This unique program supplied civilians with soap, a much-needed necessity during the conflict.
Fighting hunger after World War II
In Britain, the initial years following World War II were ones of recovery where food shortages were a reality. The Toronto High Courts saw this issue and created the IOF Easter Gift Fund to support 8,000 members in the British Isles with food for Easter in 1948.
Supporting civilians at the height of the Vietnam War
Pictured is a snippet from the September 1966 edition of The Foresters News. The Send Over Soap campaign was created to provide the civilians of South Vietnam with essentials like soap during the Vietnam War. This piece was created to celebrate the success of the global aid program and shows images of the work that went into launching the campaign.