Giving to Our Community

Charitable giving isn’t about charity, it’s about community.

I often think back to my childhood after we arrived in Canada. It wasn’t quite as expected. Starting over in a new country, not knowing the language, struggling to make ends meet, and not having a community was very hard.

I don’t remember being poor, per se. As a child, I’m not sure I would have understood what that even meant. We had what we had.

What I do remember is how much I loved the times we went swimming at our local pool, how proud my mama was of me when I got a good grade on my English homework, how excited I was to unwrap gifts from under our little tree, and how beautiful the table looked on Christmas Eve when we sat down together to enjoy a delicious feast.

I didn’t know at the time that we only went to the pool when it was free swim time, that the people who stayed after school to help me do my homework were volunteers, that the gifts came from a hamper, and our meal from the food bank.

What I did know, is that my life was made better, easier, and more joyful because of all of those things. Because people like you, who didn’t know my family, gave of their own savings to make sure we felt welcomed, supported, and loved in our new home.

My childhood was enriched by the kindness of strangers.

Fast forward a few decades, and now I understand it all. I’ve spent the majority of my career working in community organizations; I’ve personally witnessed the joys experienced by families who receive help from strangers. And I’ve come to understand that when we give to charities, we’re actually giving to our neighbours, the kids sitting next to our own in class, the families enjoying the local pool, the visitors entering the Manitoba Museum to see their stories honoured.

So when I say, charitable giving isn’t about charity, I mean it, I lived it.

Giving to causes close to our hearts it about extending a warm hand of friendship to others, it’s about reminding them that in their moments of hardship, they are not alone.

This year, I donated to a few community organizations whose work changes lives… those who care for our houseless relatives, help Indigenous women escape violence, encourage new Canadians to rebuild their lives, rescue, rehabilitate, and release wildlife in our beautiful province, and of course to my favourite museum (😉). I gave what I could because every gift makes a difference.

I invite you to join me in giving to our community.

If you would like to support the work the Museum does as a vibrant centre of community connection, research, and learning, you can click here to give. Through the generosity of the Johnston Group, all donations made up until December 31, 2024, will be matched dollar for dollar—up to $20,000. Every donation helps us build a stronger, brighter future for our community and beyond. Thank you for being part of our journey and for supporting the Manitoba Museum’s mission to preserve, educate, and inspire!

Dorota Blumczyńska
Manitoba Museum CEO

P.S. In case I haven’t said it enough, thank you. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way. I will forever be grateful for your kindness.

Image: Material republished with the express permission of: Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, and offer our sincerest condolences to her husband, children, grandchildren, her home community of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, and all her relations. Grand Chief Merrick offered wise counsel, immense knowledge, and warm kindness to everyone who had the honour of being in her presence. Grand Chief Merrick was a courageous warrior, a truth teller, and an advocate who never wavered in her calls for justice for Indigenous peoples.

When she was first elected in 2022, Grand Chief Merrick met with us at the Manitoba Museum to ensure we understood how to be true allies to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. She generously offered her guidance and support to the changes we would make and returned to sit in circle with us many times as we undertook the work of fulfilling our promises.

“Grand Chief Merrick was direct in her words about where the Museum needed to do better, she was clear about our unique responsibilities, and thoughtful in her expectations. She was also hopeful. When we last saw each other, she left me knowing the monumental tasks that were ahead of us, and that she believed we would do the work needed, that she had faith in us. To me that is who Grand Chief Merrick was, an incredible leader who demanded the world be better while dedicating every moment of her own life to making it so.” – Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO

The Manitoba Museum Board of Governors and staff grieve the loss of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, our province’s greatest Matriarch, our most resolute Warrior, and beloved Kukum to generations.

Dearest Manitoba Museum friends,

First, thank you for being here. I appreciate how much information we receive on any given day, and how overwhelming it can feel. We often ask ourselves, ‘Is this message relevant to me or do I just delete it or move on?’ Fair question, and a necessary one if we want to create a life most meaningful to each of us. This message, aka my introductory blog, is one such piece of communication I hope you don’t automatically move on. I’m going to try my best to make reading this message worthy of your time and attention.

To begin, for those of you I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Dorota Blumczyńska and I am the CEO of the Manitoba Museum. I joined the Museum two and a half incredible years ago. I say incredible because my life has been forever changed by what I’ve learned, unlearned, and re-learned in this seemingly short time. Leading this important organization is one of the greatest honours of my career, my life. Every day brings with it new insights, new challenges to overcome, new opportunities to embrace, and new uncertainties to leap into. More about that in a bit.

Why a blog? Although engaging with our communities is an important part of my role at the Museum, it isn’t something I get to do as much as I would like. The day to day realities of leading a museum are dynamic and demanding; they require paying attention simultaneously to what’s on the horizon and what’s right in front of us. I enjoy the challenges that come with supporting a fantastic team and doing hard and heart work, in balance with opportunities to be with the people and planet we do all of it for. That’s where this blog comes in: it’s my way of being present with you, our community, while serving the needs of the moment. In time, as we get to know each other, I hope to hear from you, respond to questions, and offer my insights on museum work and why it matters. These are some of my goals.

So, a little about me. I came to Canada with my parents and four siblings in 1989. We were brought here as Privately Sponsored Refugees – meaning a community who had never met us agreed to support our family during our first years here; everything from finding work, housing, learning English, to understanding our new country. As it is for many migrants, life in Canada in those early years was very difficult. The most basic things proved more complicated than any of us had imagined. In time however, we began to make friends and it was the warmth and welcome of others that helped us feel like we had found home again.

Community, I’ve learned, both professionally and personally, is what makes life a less arduous journey. The mere presence of others, those who witness our milestones, celebrate our successes, grieve our losses, and accompany us in the most beautifully mundane moments, enriches our existence.

My own life was enriched two and half years ago when I was invited to be a part of the Manitoba Museum team.

It was enriched years earlier when my family was selected for re-settlement.

And it continues to be enriched by every chance I get to welcome you, our community, into relationships with us.

This past year, as you can see from our spectacular new website and changes to many of our physical and online spaces, has been a year of continued transformation. Improvement not for the sake of improving, but with the goal of bringing us closer together, in proximity to each other’s stories.

This CEO corner, the first of many blogs from me to you, will help us get to know one another a bit more, encourage us to be curious about each other’s perspectives, and will create a space where we can ask and answer questions, explore complicated topics, and perhaps, demystify some of the myths and mysteries of museums today.