CANADA. The Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA) has pledged its support for the Missing Children’s Society of Canada (MCSC), the only non-profit organisation in Canada that actively supports law enforcement and families in the search for missing children.
Established in 1986, MCSC endeavours to serve families in the critical hours after a child goes missing and provide ongoing support until the child is found. It also has in place investigative programmes to assist police and searching families; mental health programmes that help families deal with the emotional consequences of a missing child; and critical awareness generating campaigns that provide essential support for law enforcement and searching families.
According to MCSC, over 41,000 children were reported missing in Canada in 2013 – “that’s one child every 12 minutes,” the organisation underlined. It receives two to three calls per day with requests for assistance and to take on new files, working alongside government agencies including municipal and provincial police, RCMP, Central Authority, Canadian Border Services, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, Foreign Affairs, consulates and American Fugitive Squad.
MCSC said it is the only missing children organisation that utilises technology to create a connected network of law enforcement, first responders, corporations and individual Canadians. Its Search Program has received international recognition, helping the organisation close an average of three files per week.
MCSC is 100% funded by donations and provides its services at no cost to families.
FDFA has been a longstanding fundraiser for Child Find Canada, which has recently been limiting its activities on a national basis and who recommended that FDFA partner with MCSC.
In a statement to FDFA members, Executive Director Laurie Karson wrote: “I am very pleased to announce that the FDFA will be continuing our ongoing fundraising efforts for missing children in Canada, but will be doing so officially for Missing Children’s Society of Canada.
“We will still be continuing our convention registration donations, silent auction, charity run and other efforts to support MCSC.
“MCSC Executive Director Amanda Pick will be speaking at the upcoming Imperial Gala Cocktail Reception at the [29th Annual FDFA Convention].
“We are most excited to now be with MCSC due to their cutting-edge technology and awareness programmes that have received global recognition.”
For more information about MCSC, visit www.mcsc.ca or contact Tricia Bailey, Search Program Manager, e-mail: tbailey@mcsc.ca.
