In a year of mounting pressure on people and the community services sector, the United Way Centraide network reached further than ever before, mobilizing resources, advocating for change, and connecting millions of people with the support they need.
Even in challenging times, communities across Canada continue to show resilience, compassion, and strength. People across Canada are facing real pressure, from the rising cost of living to the local effects of global instability and the steady drumbeat of difficult news. The community services sector is under pressure too. For millions of people, it remains an essential source of support, even as organizations work through staff burnout, limited capacity, rising demand, and chronic underfunding.
These pressures are not felt in the same way everywhere. They play out differently across the country, shaped by the realities of different communities and the people who call them home.
For some, it means stretching every dollar to keep food on the table as grocery prices rise. For others, it means living one payment away from losing their housing. Newcomers continue to face barriers to employment and stability, and many students are struggling to keep up. At the same time, communities continue to step up to support one another in practical, meaningful ways.
In 2025, UWCC partnered with Léger, Canada's largest market research and analytics firm, to survey Canadians about financial anxiety in the face of the deepening cost of living crisis. The findings are sounding alarm bells — and pointing to the urgent need to invest in the strength and sustainability of community services nationwide.
Read the Report
Throughout 2025, 211 remained a trusted, reliable source of information and support for hundreds of thousands of people across Canada — especially in the face of climate-related disasters. In Manitoba, government communications directed wildfire-affected residents to 211 Manitoba, a program of United Way Winnipeg, underscoring the service's vital role in crisis management.
In collaboration with FindHelp Information Services, a project to refresh the 211.ca website launched on 211 Day, February 11, 2026, featuring improved navigation and a new national data dashboard. That same day, over 70 landmark buildings illuminated their façades in red to celebrate this vital helpline, and 38 municipal and provincial leaders issued official proclamations declaring 211 Day in their communities.
