There are times when you need a little push to soar. That’s exactly what internationally recognized art director Andrew Lewis was thinking when he created the adorable little birds that adorn this year’s semi-postal fundraising stamps for the Canada Post Community Foundation.

This marks the first time that Canada Post has issued two differently coloured versions of the same stamp design for the Foundation’s annual fundraising campaign – five of each are included in the booklet of 10. Another first was the decision to issue two Official First Day Covers.

The Foundation provides funding to local and national non-profit groups dedicated to serving the needs of children and youth. The extra dollar paid by customers for each booklet goes directly to the Foundation, which recently awarded $1.2 million in funding to grassroots and community-based child and youth organizations across the country. Over the past four years, the Foundation has contributed approximately $5 million in assistance to libraries, breakfast programs, anti-bullying initiatives, sports clubs, and other programs and organizations, including Kids Help Phone, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, and Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.