INSPIRED BY UNITED WAY
City police officer says support made a big impact
Now I have a great job in the community because of people in the community who helped me.
Windsor police Senior Const. Cealia Gagnon knows the difference United Way makes in Windsor and Essex County.
As a young girl, Gagnon watched her single mom struggle to provide food and a place to live for her two young children. As her family bounced around, Gagnon in no time had attended eight different schools.
At 14 years old, Gagnon ventured out on her own. She went to high school while working two jobs and lived with another teenager to help offset the cost of rent. Frustrated, she turned to United Way looking for assistance and utilized their food bank, counselling services, tutoring and other various programs. She graduated high school, went to college and joined Windsor police 10 years ago.
“I was on the wrong path for some time as a youth,” Gagnon said. “Without these programs, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”
On Friday, Gagnon told her story to a room filled with community members and volunteers at the 2016 United Way Kickoff in the City at the Caboto Club.
“I think it’s important for people to realize their dollars are affecting someone and sometimes when you see someone that you’ve helped positively it helps with your contribution,” she said. “Now I have a great job in the community because of people in the community who helped me. I think 100 per cent of this affected the person I am today.”
Gagnon is an active volunteer with United Way, as well as many other charities and events throughout Windsor and Essex County. She volunteers because she knows what it feels like to go without and wants to help others in need.
“As a police officer, I’m in these communities and I can see the change and it’s affecting all of us,” she said.
“Volunteering is a great way to give back, and you get hooked. If you don’t have the money to donate, give your time. Every little bit helps.”
United Way CEO Lorraine Goddard said last year, United Way put out a three-year $7.5-million challenge to the community. Going into the second year, the campaign is doing well but she said United Way recognizes the challenges and struggles donors are facing.
“We have been collecting data so we can say to the donor, ‘This is how we are making a change,’ ” she said. “We are now able to say this is how we are making a change, this is what the numbers are telling us and this is how it’s changing lives.”
Goddard said the next Statistics Canada numbers will show if they are making improvements. But Windsor and Essex County was particularly hard hit the last couple of years.
“We are really focused on intergenerational poverty,” she said. “United Way has done the research and it’s really clear, if we don’t level the playing field for young people, their opportunities are very limited. We don’t want to see a young person live a life of poverty because that’s the family they were born into.”