United Way Niagara celebrates record year
$5.3M raised to support local agencies
It was another record-setting year for United Way Niagara.
Its campaign celebration breakfast held Thursday at Holiday Inn and Suites St. Catharines Conference Centre welcomed more than 360 people, who learned the fall campaign raised almost $5.3 million for the organization.
United Way Niagara chief executive officer Frances Hallworth said the breakfast is a way to bring donors and volunteers together to thank them and highlight their accomplishments.
“What I thought was amazing was the energy in the room, people really get it,” she said.
“It’s a whole room of people who are donors and volunteers, doing all kinds of things. So, it’s a nice feeling to bring all those people together and say thank you.”
Hallworth said the idea of the campaign celebration breakfast came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the organization wanted to change things up.
“Our kickoff traditional breakfast became the fire truck pull, and people value their evenings, and for people working it’s easier to come in the morning and then get to work,” she said.
“Based on the turnout and people’s enthusiasm, the mornings have worked out well.”
Hallworth is elated the campaign surpassed its goal, crediting its success to campaign chair Brad Steeves. She also drew attention to growing needs supported by local agencies, as the money raised is only a fraction of what’s needed.
The campaign target had been set at $5.2 million.
“Requests from agencies are probably three times more than we fund, so we would like to see (donations) go much higher,” she said.
Donors were presented with awards in eight categories that highlighted their dedication to the campaign and United Way.
Meridian Credit Union received the community partnership award for its work on the Period Promise campaign, Enbridge Gas Inc. received the event of the year award for its work hosting the most successful event for fundraising, while the City of Port Colborne recaptured the coveted municipal challenge award, from the City of Fort Erie, for raising the most money by a municipality.
Canadian Niagara Power Inc. won for best campaign of the year, Shelley Marchand was presented with the Anita Robertson Legacy Award and Algoma Central Corp. won the corporation of the year award.
Rounding out the awards segment of the morning, Edith Cavell Public School, Fresh West Market, won the community builders award for work students have done on food insecurity in their school.
Principal Robyn Scheubel spoke about the program and what a surprise it was to students and faculty involved to be recognized for the difference they have made.
“We didn’t even know we were being chosen or selected or in the running for anything,” she said.
“We received a call saying this is how (United Way Niagara) wanted to honour the work we’ve done this year. So, what a beautiful way to cap off a year of hard work.”
Scheubel said the program was done in collaboration with Niagara Region Public Health as students chose to focus on food insecurity in their neighbourhood, mainly around a phenomenon called food deserts, which are absent of grocery stores, requiring people to take long trips to acquire nutritious foods.
“We learned the term food desert and realized that’s what Western Hill can be classified as for families, especially, as our school grows culturally more diverse,” she said.
“It’s harder to get some more culturally diverse food in a corner store, certainly at a price that’s reasonable.”
Schuebel said students took the initiative and came up with the idea of the market, through the school’s partnership with Lococo’s, for their breakfast club.