At the 2020-2021 Impact Report Launch on June 24, local speakers put into perspective how much action in community matters. We have faced the most challenging year ever in the community, with pressing local issues driving a need for resources from a social sector stretched beyond its capacity to serve. However, the generosity of dedicated local heroes has enabled United Way Halton & Hamilton to help more than 310,296 people through 266 programs.
Compounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable populations across Halton and Hamilton faced impossible challenges, including reduced incomes and financial stability, as well as an increase in mental health issues. In a gathering of local donors and community leaders, the Impact Report Launch event showed exactly how community support could ignite lasting change.
“We use the Impact Report each year as a tool to show how donors’ vital support impacts community, through statistics and stories,” says Brad Park, president and CEO of United Way Halton & Hamilton, and host of the event. “In a difficult year, local heroes came together to help meet the demand for resources and services for our community’s most vulnerable. Their local love and generosity made this level of support possible.”
The Impact Report shows how your United Way is addressing fundamental societal issues:
- Since the start of the pandemic, 59% of parents noted behavioural changes in their child.
United Way Halton & Hamilton helped 27,461 children and youth improve their emotional and physical well-being.
- 2 in 5 young men & women are experiencing considerable isolation and loneliness in Canada.
United Way Halton & Hamilton supported 43,090 people to develop stronger social connections and feel a sense of belonging.
- Almost 1 in 7 Canadians indicated that they lived in a household with food insecurity in the past 30 days.
United Way Halton & Hamilton funding made sure that 59,731 people have increased food security.
During the event, Brad Park and Brenda Delodder, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, United Way Halton & Hamilton, hosted a virtual panel of local agency leaders who discussed social issues and how we can work together in rebuilding a community where everyone can thrive.
Panellists included:
- Leo Johnson, Executive Director, Empowerment Squared
- Rosemary Aswani, Manager of Front-Line Settlement Services, Immigrants Working Centre
- Nancy Rumple, Executive Director, Halton Food for Thought
- Michelle Knoll, Executive Director, Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre
To see the full extent of your United Way’s impact, click through the 2021 Impact Report at www.thelocallovereport.ca.
About United Way Halton & Hamilton
United Way Halton & Hamilton (UWHH) is committed to leading measurable, impactful change by identifying the most challenging issues in our community and bringing together people and resources to address those issues. We connect volunteers with local needs and offer training and operational support to local charities. Along with our network of partners and experts, UWHH conducts research and works with key stakeholders to generate support for the not-for-profit sector. Each dollar raised is invested right back into the community. Today, 310,296 residents across Halton and Hamilton rely on 266 United Way supported programs for life-changing services.
Outside of government, United Way is the largest funder of social service programs and initiatives in Canada.
For more information and to donate, visit: www.uwhh.ca