Capital One Canada, together with Hackworks, are hosting a 40-hour Gift the Code Hackathon this October 21 to 23 to help address digital issues faced by six Toronto-based charities. Over 100 participants—a mix of volunteers and Capital One associates—will be brainstorming, building, and submitting technology solutions for the charities’ digital challenges. The event, which is hosted by Marc Saltzman, will see the participants broken into teams of four to six experts at BrainStation’s Toronto campus to help solve these problems.

The six charities the hackathon will help out include:

• Prosper Canada - A national charity dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for Canadians living in poverty through program and policy innovation. A champion for financial empowerment, the organization works with governments, businesses, and community groups to develop and promote financial policies, programs and resources that transform lives and foster prosperity for all Canadians.
• Second Harvest - Second Harvest is the largest food rescue program in Canada. Since 1985, Second Harvest has been picking up donated, surplus food, which would otherwise go to waste, and delivering that food to community agencies in Toronto.
• Women’s Habitat - An organization that provides shelter and support services to women and their children who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, financial, and/or spiritual violence.
• Toronto PFlag - A volunteer-run, registered charitable organization. Through support, education and advocacy, Toronto PFlag works to create a more accepting society for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and their families, friends, and allies.
• Holland Bloorview - Canada’s largest children’s rehabilitation hospital focused on improving the lives of kids with disabilities. It is a global leader in applied research, teaching, and learning, and client- and family-centred care.
• Blake Boultbee - A community-based outreach service providing counselling, therapy and life skills training to high-risk youth and families in low-income areas of east Toronto.