Despite missing target, United Way remains positive
Ottawa’s United Way campaign has raised $15.9 million since September, falling short of its $17.2-million goal.
Co-chairs Yaprak Baltacıoglu and Mark Sutcliffe said Wednesday that the total will still allow the organization to help 57,000 people in Ottawa this year.
“For Mark and I this is the end of a seven-month trek, where we basically learned about the community, saw the needs of the community, and we also saw the generosity in the city,” Baltacıoğlu said.
The total also trailed the $16.7 million raised a year earlier in a campaign that also didn’t reach its goal. The charity drive has suffered in recent years because of a shrinking public service and other pressures.
Both co-chairs said raising money has become a challenge across the country.
“There’s been quite a lot written about the declining rate of giving in Canada, and that is a change,” said Baltacıoğlu.
Uncertainty about the economy in Ottawa and more competition from other “great organizations” are other factors, Sutcliffe said.
“And there’s more need in the community,” he said.
United Way spokeswoman Andrée Dion says the organization is not yet sure yet what effect the decrease in money will have.
The United Way works with many “front-line” organizations in Ottawa.
Wednesday’s event heard Naomi Morisawa De Koven, chair of community services, describe partnerships that will benefit from the campaign, including Around the Rainbow, which provides counselling and services to the LGBTTQ+ community, and Children Who Witness, which helps victims and witnesses of violence overcome their traumatic ordeals.
Another, Operation Come Home, will also get a boost this year, allowing it to double to 20 the number of youth it is able to assist.
The program provides young people with financial literacy courses and helps them find a place to live.
“The biggest concern for our youth is they can always get first month’s rent, but they never manage to save last,” said organization staff member Natalie Elliott.
She said Operation Go Home will help them by matching any money they’ve saved for first month’s rent, up to $1,000.
OCH’s goal is to keep its young clients housed for at least a year, which greatly narrows their chances of becoming homeless again, said Elliot.
Among all the suits and ties speaking at Wednesday’s announcement was a little girl in a sparkly pink dress.
Jemma is a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa, a longtime United Way partner.
Accompanied by “Big Sister” Anne Bilodeau, she described how she loves being in the program.
Her appearance was part of a strategy the United Way has been developing.
Instead of representing achievements with monetary figures, it wants to show the people it has helped, said United Way chief executive Michael Allen.
Jemma, an endearing and wellspoken eight-year-old, said she loves hanging out with Anne.
“We like doing glass (making stained glass in Anne’s studio) and we bake cookies, and Hulahooping,” she said.
Her favourite colour to work with? Blue. No hesitation.