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Annual United Way campaign returns to the UGDSB

November 2, 2022

The Upper Grand District School Board is launching its annual United Way campaign.

This year’s theme will continue the ‘Radical Recovery’ theme of last year. In the Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin areas around 300 individuals (about 80 of them youth) are without shelter every night. Death by suicide is 2.5 times higher than the national average in Guelph. And, 1 in 4 Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin households cope with unaffordable housing costs. 

“The same issues and urgency that we applied to the pandemic can be applied to tackle the root causes of poverty in our communities,” said Holly Freeman, Relationship Manager at United Way Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin.  

Last year, the UGDSB managed to beat their amount raised from the previous year, raising $9,000 toward the United Way’s relief efforts and programs – and that was without the help of special fundraising events in school.

This year the board wants to kick-it-up a notch by setting out to achieve bigger goals. The first goal is to raise over $12,000 – a 30 per cent increase from last year. The second goal is to introduce United Way Champion liaisons across the UGDSB. These liaisons would be volunteer staff who have an interest in building strong, safe and cohesive communities, as well as providing support to those most vulnerable individuals and groups. These liaisons would act as the bridge between United Way GWD and UGDSB schools. 

For over 75 years, the United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin has worked to meet the needs of the UGDSB community. United Way is directed by a board of volunteers, managed by committed staff and supported by thousands of donors. Donations to the United Way go to support many programs in our communities. 

Some of the organizations that the United Way supports include Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Family and Children’s Services, Women in Crisis, local food banks and more.

For more information about the United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin, please visit their website, and for more information on how to become a United Way Champion please contact Relationship Manager, Holly Freeman. 

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