Niagara needs to answer the United Way’s call

United Way Niagara has launched its 2020 fundraising campaign in a way it never has before.

This year, it isn’t asking people to think of the dollars. Instead it wants us to think of the lives: 120,000 of them — neighbours, parents, co-workers, friends, family, maybe even your own. Those are the lives that need a little help this year as we all slog through the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a year when Niagara might have a little less to give, what with all the jobs lost and businesses walking a fine line between profit and loss, we’re all being asked to give a little more.

As tough as it might be, it’s a call we need to answer. The United Way is one of those agencies whose support stretches into every tiny corner of the Niagara community, in every city and town.

Programs that benefit everyone from school kids to senior citizens, that find affordable housing for people and provide access to food and support for shutins and people dealing with mental health issues — that’s where the United Way’s money goes.

And this year — once again, thanks COVID! — instead of the 111 agencies and programs it helped last year, there are now 154 that are relying on some level of funding support from United Way.

“Every agency is somehow affected by COVID-19. No matter what kind of service you offer, you have certainly been affected by it,” said executive director Frances Hallworth. “It’s very difficult to run your events. Everyone’s events have been cancelled since March, and there are many agencies that count on those events to help with their revenue.”

Golf matches and slo-pitch tournaments, street festivals, ribfests, parades, dances, banquets. The list of cancelled and scaled-back events is long.

Kudos to the non-profit groups that soldiered on by going online and staging virtual celebrations, but few if any raised the money they expected or needed.

And at the United Way, full credit to the community sponsors that have stepped up with their wallets to encourage extra support for this year’s campaign.

For example, 17 past sponsors formed the Friends of Golf program to match donations from new donors of any amount up to $25,000. That’s to make up for the loss of golf tournaments as fundraisers this year.

And the Humeniuk Foundation — which already pledged up to $100,000 in matching funds earlier this year for the United Way’s Emergency Fund drive — has done it again.

For returning donors, along with the Brown Homestead, the foundation has pledged up to $100,000 for the #Unignorable Match.

It will match increases of donors’ previous contributions of any amount from those who give between $1 and $1,200.

No local economy has been hit harder than Niagara’s.

The tourism sector was devastated. The closure of the border all summer choked off a big supply of its usual customers, and Canadians have spent less because of public safety restrictions required during the pandemic, and because many people have lost their employment.

Our local retailers suffered for the same reasons. Other regions further from the border haven’t lost such a large part of their customer base the way Niagara’s stores and shops have.

It might require us all to dig a little deeper into wallets that aren’t quite as full this year, but it’s something we need to do.

Add it to the growing list of other sacrifices we have made during this most frustrating of years.

Do what you can and keep wearing your masks and remember to socially distance. There is light at the end of this tunnel.