United Way Perth Huron is looking for new volunteers to join a very important committee.
As Kristin Crane, Director of Research and Community Investment for UWPH explains, the committee they're looking to fill spots on is the Community Impact and Allocations Committee. That committee is essentially responsible for deciding what to do with the funds raised by UWPH.
"Where we should distribute that within the community. So CIAC, or the Community Impact and Allocations Committee, get to make those decisions. It's a really important and meaningful role to play in the community," Crane explained.
The committee reviews and evaluates funding applications, chooses community investments to ensure funding matches the needs and addresses systemic and social inequities, engages with the community to set local priorities and acts as a liaison with supported partners when needed.
Crane notes that generally, the time commitment is about 2 hours a month for meetings, with one special longer meeting in the early part of this year.
"So because we are starting a new cycle, there will be a time that we come together for a half day or half day plus, where we will go through and talk about the applications we've received for funding, and that's kind of a one-off community day that we do this," she pointed out. "So this is a year-round committee where we're going through the funding decisions that we make, as well as looking at reporting from community partners and figuring out how United Way and its volunteers can support our community partners."
Terms are three years in length and UWPH is particularly looking for members with an interest in and/or experience with equity work who live and/or work in Huron County, including Bluewater, Central Huron, Huron East, North Huron, Howick, Morris-Turnberry, ACW, South Huron and Goderich.
"We are excited to work with volunteers who bring diverse perspectives and experiences to making decisions on how we support the community," added Leah Kennedy, UWPH Manager of Community Impact. "If you want to help us make a difference in the lives of local people, we encourage you to apply and become part of our work."
To learn more, and to download a copy of the UWPH volunteer application form, visit perthhuron.unitedway.ca.