United Way aims for $4.3M
The United Way of the Central and South Okanagan/Similkameen has set a three-year fundraising goal of $4.3 million.
The target was announced Wednesday at a campaign kickoff breakfast in Kelowna.
“In many ways, the Okanagan is booming, but this growth and prosperity has a flip side, and in Kelowna particularly we are seeing the growing pains associated with moving from a small to medium-sized city,” reads part of a United Way release.
In B.C., the United Way says, 12 per cent of people live in poverty. Being poor impacts health, leads to isolation and loneliness, and contributes to drug addiction, the United Way says.
Last year, the United Way invested a total of $1.42 million in 22 Valley communities, funding 50 separate agencies. Those investments, the United Way says, touched the lives of 60,000 people, or one out of every four people in the Valley.
Organizations funded by the United Way provide a broad range of programs and services.
Typical examples are trauma counselling, healthy breakfasts for children, baby essentials for low-income families, resources for women fleeing violent partners and support for survivors of sexual abuse.
“Sadly, of course, we could always invest more,” the United Way says. “The needs in our community are growing. This year, as last year, our Community Investment Fund was oversubscribed by around 40 per cent.”
To donate, see unitedwaycso.com/donate/.