United Way Perth-Huron has announced that it has set a record following its annual fundraising campaign.
Executive Director Ryan Erb says they are thrilled with raising over $2.89 million, with much of the work being done by volunteers. Erb notes that United Way has well over 600 volunteers in Perth and Huron, helping make things like the campaign possible.
"We could not do it without the volunteers. Those folks help out with everything from fundraising to trying to figure out what the next project is in their community to make things better. So it's a wide range of people doing a wide variety of things trying to make this community a better place. We're incredibly grateful and indebted to all the volunteers for their hard work," Erb shared proudly.
Volunteers and other campaign members were celebrated last Thursday, March 27 at the Arden Park Hotel in Stratford. They were there alongside local donors to celebrate raising $2,356,497 for the annual campaign, along with a further $542,050 for United Housing, resulting in a record-setting grand total of $2,898,547.
Guests enjoyed dinner generously provided by the Hayter family and heard about the positive impact their support has on local lives from speakers. Terri Sparling sang at the event.
United Way presented Volunteer Spirit awards to Gerry Bell, David Clarke, Barry Hutten, Cindi Jones, April Selkirk, Eva Sippel, Tom Soltys, Robert Stanton, and Grace Theophilopoulos.
The Avon Maitland District School Board, McCann Redi-Mix, Goderich Mayor Trevor Bazinet, Goderich Councillor Randy Carroll, and Kerry Prober and her teams at McDonald’s in Stratford and St. Marys received Community Spirit awards. FIO Automotive Canada once again topped the list of workplace fundraising campaigns, raising $192,194. This total included a dollar-for-dollar corporate match from FIO.
"It may sound clichéd, but our donors and volunteers really are what makes our organization tick," added Erb. "There are so many challenges we face as a region that are beyond our control. Despite that, the people of Perth-Huron continue to support the work we’re doing. We are grateful for the trust our community places in United Way to help deliver important programs and services. "We would also like to thank our Campaign Co-chairs, John Wolfe and Kristin Sainsbury, for taking up the challenge of leading the campaign this year. Their help was invaluable in helping us connect with our community and raise funds."
Erb reminds everyone that this money goes toward supporting loads of different local organizations and initiatives, as United Way are the biggest funder of social programs next to the government, helping people when they need it most in many different scenarios.
"So whether that's food security, mental health, housing, those are the big themes across the organizations that are helping us out. We are just incredibly proud that we have a network of organizations that partner with us, and provide that frontline programming to be there when you need it most," Erb said.
This year, just over $540,000 will go towards United Housing. Erb explains that's the United Way's new program aimed at bringing affordable living options to local communities.
"United Housing is the region's first dedicated not-for-profit organization that is going to be building mixed rental income housing. United Way has launched this new organization in order to tackle the housing crisis we are facing. It's been years in the making and we are on the cusp of several projects across the region," Erb pointed out.
Erb notes that they are working to build a sustainable housing organization to help build hundreds of affordable rental units for people over the next number of years. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, visit perthhuron.unitedway.ca.