Volunteering

A soldier could rarely have too many pairs of socks. This French-based charity had offices in Paris, Montreal, Toronto, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Cigarettes could be ordered direct from the manufacturer in Canada and shipped to a soldier overseas for just $1 per 300 cigarettes, or $2.50 per thousand.

During the First World War, the YMCA was a major supplier of comforts to soldiers, which were often distributed through huts like this one, at the large Canadian camp at Witley, in the south of England.

Every imaginable device, such as this ink blotter, was used to promote the sale of Victory Bonds during the Second World War.

The YMCA offered sightseeing tours of London to Canadians in uniform through its Beaver Hut in The Strand.

The Knights of Columbus was one of the many organizations that offered accommodations to servicemen and women on leave during the Second World War. The note on the back reads: "Dear Mother: Got a nice room here for the week-end after arriving in London at 8 o'clock yesterday morning from Glasgow. Love, Bill."

Franked in 1941 with the distinctive "V for Victory" postmark, this commemorative cover was auctioned to raise money for British war victims.

During the Second World War, the Salvation Army operated dozens of rest facilities for Canadians in uniform, like this one in London's former West Central Hotel.

This Christmas card, produced by the federal government during the Second World War, was intended to make it easy for Canadians to support the war effort through War Savings Stamps.

“Muggins” collected over $6000 for the Canadian Red Cross Society in Victoria, British Columbia, during the First World War.