National
COVID-19
response

Here you will find highlights of United Way Centraide efforts and contributions in responding to COVID-19 and helping the most vulnerable in communities across Canada.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic. During this time United Way Centraides and registered charities across Canada are responding to the crisis in new, innovative and collaborative ways to help the people who need it most.

Below, are examples of local United Way Centraide efforts to help the most vulnerable as communities across Canada respond to COVID-19.

Published October 15, 2020
211 SERVICE GOES NATIONWIDE WITH FUNDING FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Everyone in Canada will soon have access to 211, a free, confidential information navigation service that connects people to critical government and community-based, non-clinical health and social services in their community thanks to funding from the Government of Canada.

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Published September 28, 2020
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA RELEASES ROUND 2 OF THE EMERGENCY COMMUNITY SUPPORT FUND

Starting October 5th, the final installment of the $350 million Fund will be released by the federal government so that we can continue to flow support to charities and non-profit organizations serving our most vulnerable. We commend the Government of Canada’s continued support to community organizations and look forward to extending our work from Round 1 to further assist organizations on the front lines in their missions.
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Published September 17, 2020
COVID + WE SCANDAL: FEDERAL ACTION ON CHARITABLE SECTOR NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER

OTTAWA, ON – Canadians are feeling the financial and economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic and so are Canadian charities. Almost two out of five Canadian charitable donors say their giving has dropped since the pandemic began according to an Angus Reid Institute (ARI) survey produced with a consortium of charitable organizations (Canada Helps, Cardus, Charitable Impact, Imagine Canada, Philanthropic Foundations Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada).
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Published September 15, 2020
EMERGENCY COMMUNITY SUPPORT FUND: GRANT RESULTS

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 – The national network of local United Way Centraides, in partnership with United Way Centraide Canada (UWCC), have disbursed more than $95M through the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF). The ECSF was created in response to the sudden and critical need for community services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund has equipped 3,360 programs to meet the immediate and pressing needs of vulnerable people caused or exacerbated by COVID-19. To date, this funding represents 95% of available funds with final disbursements being made in the coming weeks.
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Published September 1, 2020
NEW HORIZONS FOR SENIORS PROGRAM – UNITED WAY CENTRAIDE GRANT RESULTS
On March 29, to provide immediate essential services to seniors during the pandemic, the Government of Canada announced a grant of $9 million under the New Horizons for Seniors Program to be distributed through the United Way Centraide Canada network.
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Published August 26, 2020
CHPR ADVOCATES FOR STRONGER FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST COVID-19: ADEQUATE HOUSING  

In an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Housing Policy Roundtable expressed the urgent need for immediate investments to improve the housing system’s ability to shelter those experiencing homelessness as part of Canada’s COVID-19 response. These policy recommendations were echoed in an op-ed published Aug. 24, in the Globe and Mail.
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Published July 16, 2020
KIMBERLY-CLARK CANADA’S GIFT TO THE COMMUNITY

A partnership was announced in March, pairing Kimberly-Clark Canada (K-C Canada) with United Way Centraide Canada to assist local United Ways in their COVID-19 community relief efforts across the country. K-C Canada pledged to donate 100,000 rolls of Cottonelle® and 10,000 Kleenex® Facial tissue products across the country to help those in need.
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Published June 27, 2020
UNITED WAY GREATER TORONTO NEWSLETTER

As a result of a partnership between the City of Toronto and a number of community organizations, including United Way, more than 2 million meals have been provided to people and families made vulnerable by the pandemic. The Food Security Table, which consists of city staff and representatives from United Way, Daily Bread Food Bank, FoodShare Toronto, North York Harvest Food Bank, Second Harvest, Red Cross, Toronto Public Library and The Salvation Army, continues to meet regularly to discuss food access gaps in the community and how they can be filled.
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Published June 24, 2020
COVID-19 WILL “ABSOLUTELY EXACERBATE HOMELESSNESS IN CANADA,” SAY ADVOCATES

Approximately 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness each year, and there are even more who are underhoused. Housing advocates say these figures may increase, due to economic instability during the coronavirus pandemic. Our fifth story in partnership with United Way Centraide Canada examines how a movement to close the housing gap influenced the federal government’s first national housing strategy.
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Published June 23, 2020
UNITED WAY SPONSORS NEW FINANCIAL RELIEF NAVIGATOR

Access all the benefits and financial relief measures supporting Canadians in one, simple, easy to use location. The Financial Relief Navigator (FRN), is an English and French online tool providing a one-stop portal to help vulnerable Canadians access critical emergency benefits and financial relief from governments, financial institutions, telecoms and internet providers. While some other tools focus exclusively on emergency benefits, the FRN collectively pulls together relief measures from all of these entities.
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Published June 20, 2020
UNITED WAY GREATER TORONTO NEWSLETTER

A twelve-year-old girl named Jasreen recently reached out to a United Way-supported agency with a donation of food and hygiene products. She wanted to do her own small part to help, acknowledging that the need among those experiencing homelessness is greater than ever as a result of the pandemic. “We can’t lose humanity and kindness,” Jasreen shared in her letter. “We are doing this because we care…and because our small act of kindness can help so many people.”
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Published June 18, 2020
CENTRAIDE OF GREATER MONTREAL NEWSLETTER

This week, our featured topic is about the challenges of summer 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. There will be no respite for our agencies, which will be on the front lines to deal with heat waves, the July-1 moving day, and all the other normal summer events.

Our social development team is still working hard to respond to requests to the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) of the Government of Canada. Projects submitted to the Youth Project have also been analyzed. Discover some of them below and consult the list of agencies that have received money from this fund.
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Published June 16, 2020
BATTLEFORDS UNITED WAY: MAKING SURE SENIORS ARE FED AND HEARD

When the COVID pandemic broke out in March, Battlefords United Way leapt into action to make sure that vulnerable members in their community were getting the supplies they needed.

“We heard from volunteers that seniors were frightened and lonely, and because of the virus and the need for social distancing, many were afraid to even leave their homes,” says Sharon Mohagen, Battlefords United Way’s events and campaign coordinator.
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Published June 13, 2020
UNITED WAY GREATER TORONTO NEWSLETTER

“I couldn’t be more honoured to shine a light on the extraordinary contributions of the “invisible heroes” of the community services sector. These are the social workers, personal support workers and program managers (and many, many more) who are providing vital services to those who need them the most during this pandemic. Earlier this week, we partnered with the City of Toronto as Mayor John Tory officially recognized June 8-12 as Community Worker Recognition Week.” – Daniele Zanotti, President & CEO
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Published June 9, 2020
ACTION IN SAINT JOHN, KINGS & CHARLOTTE, NEW BRUNSWICK

United Way Saint John, Kings & Charlotte, is working with the Atlantic Compassion Fund (AFC) and providing funding to meet the immediate needs for their community members feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since early April, the fund has distributed more than $118,000 in grants registered charities in the Saint John, Kings & Charlotte region. This funding means rapid solutions and supports for people and families who are struggling to get safe access to food, housing, medication, transportation, social and mental health supports.
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Published June 6, 2020
UNITED WAY GREATER TORONTO NEWSLETTER

“We can do better. We can be better. We can start by educating ourselves, speaking out and standing up against injustice. Here at United Way, we will continue to listen to our Black and Indigenous colleagues, agency partners and Black Community Advisory Council to learn how we can create space for change on this issue.” – Daniele Zanotti, President & CEO
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Published June 5, 2020
CENTRAIDE OF GREATER MONTREAL: ARE WE ALL EQUAL IN A PANDEMIC?

While COVID-19 does not discriminate, it cannot be said that everyone has been equally impacted by this crisis. What is happening in the hot zones? What about the rights of asylum seekers, many of whom are racialized people, and who make up the working poor in the private health sector? How are community agencies and neighbourhood roundtables responding to ensure no one is left behind due to this crisis that is affecting everyone, but not in the same way? In the midst of stay-at-home orders, how can police services juggle public safety with individual liberties in a society that is denouncing racial profiling?
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Published June 4, 2020
FOOD SECURITY UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT IN NORTHERN ONTARIO

United Way Sault Ste Marie and Algoma District, through their wholly-owned and operated Harvest Algoma Food Resource Centre, is pulling the community together to ensure there is food for those who need it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Published June 1, 2020
THE ATLANTIC COMPASSION FUND: LOCAL LOVE DURING A GLOBAL CRISIS 

At the onset of the coronavirus COVID-19, 11 United Ways in Atlantic Canada launched the Atlantic Compassion Fund (ACF) with  Atlantic Business Interiors, The fund is designed to help agencies across Atlantic Canada respond to the immediate and emerging needs of their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Published May 30, 2020
UNITED WAY GREATER TORONTO NEWSLETTER

Now is the time to dig in. To invest in a strong social safety net that will sustain our community for months and years ahead. To remind ourselves that we must do whatever we can, despite our own challenging circumstances, to help those who are struggling the most. – Daniele Zanotti, President & CEO at United Way Greater Toronto.
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Published May 28, 2020
CENTRAIDE OF GREATER MONTREAL NEWSLETTER
This week was the launch of our Unstoppable Community Spirit campaign to honour our thousands of community workers and volunteers. This week, we also take a look at the different funds to support community agencies during the health crisis: COVID-19 Emergency Fund, Emergency Community Support Fund, Youth Project, and New Horizons for Seniors Program. We let you know what each one is for!
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Published May 26, 2020
UNITED WAY OXFORD: KEEPING CHILDREN FED IS A PRIORITY

In small communities, not all social service agencies have the capacity to fund, develop and implement new programs to help the vulnerable during COVID-19. United Way Oxford has been able to help and provide those resources through the newly developed Food for Families program.
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Published May 23, 2020
UNITED WAY GREATER TORONTO NEWSLETTER

“What gives you hope? It’s a question I regularly ask members of our community during our ongoing webinar series. Because with everything going on in the world these days, sometimes it can be hard to see the silver linings.” – Daniele Zanotti, President & CEO
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Published May 21, 2020
UNITED WAY EAST ONTARIO: THIS GLOBAL CRISIS IS FAR FROM OVER

The social challenges people face on a regular basis have not gone away because of COVID-19. In fact, in many cases, things have gotten much, much worse. Things are financially difficult for so many people right now. But, when we work together, we can use our resources creatively and effectively to address the most pressing needs. In this monthly newsletter, discover how, together with our supporters and partners, we’re continuing to keep our communities strong.
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Published May 19, 2020
CENTRAIDE OF GREATER MONTREAL: FUNDS AVAILABLE

The Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) is a $350-million investment from the Government of Canada allocated through Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to help vulnerable populations manage the impacts of COVID-19.
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Published May 19, 2020
UNITED WAY GREATER TORONTO | PUTTING YOUR DOLLARS TO WORK

The COVID-19 pandemic shows just how vital United Way’s connected and co-ordinated network of 270 front-line community agencies is now—and will continue to be in the weeks and months to come. By partnering with grassroots organizations and local government to provide a lifeline to individuals and families, we are ensuring there are no gaps in essential services and that no emergency needs go unmet.
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Published May 16, 2020
EMERGENCY COMMUNITY SUPPORT FUND

United Way Centraide Canada, through its local United Way Centraide members, is now accepting applications for the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF). The ECSF is a new $350M investment by the Government of Canada to support charities and non-profit organizations serving vulnerable populations who are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19.
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Published May 15, 2020
CENTRAIDE OF GREATER MONTREAL NEWSLETTER

This week, we take a look inside Centraide’s pandemicinitiatives. Discover how applications to the Emergency Fund are evaluated and read all about the crisis cells, which play a key role in coordinating responses on the ground.
We also give you details about the Youth Project, created jointly by the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation and Centraide of Greater Montreal, which you can now apply to for funding.
Finally, we get to know some generous companies that have supported their communities by donating a share of their profits to Centraide.
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Published May 14, 2020
UNITED WAY WINNIPEG: KEEPING FAMILIES FED

United Way Winnipeg (UWW) is facing multiple community issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. By funding Family Resource Centre (FRC) programs and services, joint efforts have pulled the community together to ensure vulnerable people have their basic needs met.
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Published May 9, 2020
UNITED WAY GREATER TORONTO | LOCAL LOVE IN ACTION

Our agencies are hard at work on the frontlines and their staff are often risking their own health and safety to support our most vulnerable. This edition highlights a few recent examples of how your support is allowing partner agencies to respond to community needs right now.
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Published May 6, 2020
SENIORS IN VULNERABLE SITUATIONS: GETTING THE HELP THEY NEED

In March, the Federal Government announced $9M in funding for seniors living in vulnerable situations that are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These include seniors living in isolation, or in low income and who, because of COVID-19, cannot access the social supports and programs they need and are accustomed to using.
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Published April 24, 2020
EVERYONE COMMITTED TO LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND

Four weeks after the launch of their Emergency Fund, United Way Greater Montreal invested nearly $3.7M to support exceptional measures set up by about 300 community agencies in the region. Community agencies in Greater Montreal have quickly reorganized to maintain or even intensify contact with their clients as well as with everyone made newly vulnerable by the crisis.
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Published April 21, 2020
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ANNOUNCES $350M EMERGENCY COMMUNITY SUPPORT FUND

“The COVID-19 crisis is having a real and significant impact on all Canadians. Today’s announcement will help ensure that if Canadians need the support of a community organization, it will be there for them.” – The Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
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Published April, 2020
LET’S SUPPORT THE HOMELESS

In just a few days, many resources were forced to shut down or restrict their activities to comply with social distancing rules. The crisis upended many services, such as housing, food aid, supervised injection sites, and access to health care. Overwhelmed street outreach workers struggled to find alternatives to meet pressing needs. But we can see how, in just a few weeks, homelessness resources have mobilized to confront the crisis.
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Published April, 2020
FEEDING GREATER MONTREAL

The COVID-19 crisis has forced charitable organizations to suspend a lot of their services. The situation has put an even greater strain on vulnerable people who can no longer access the same support, while the number of people in need has increased due to confinement measures and job losses. Overall, 50% of calls to 211 relate to food. Food aid requests are exploding.
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Published April 18, 2020
UNITED WAY GREATER TORONTO NEWSLETTER

United way Greater Toronto’s weekly digest showcases how donors support is fuelling crucial, life-saving work in the community during the COVID-19 crisis. Check out their newsletter!
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Published April 15, 2020
COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE GIFTS

United Way Centraide’s COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund has received overwhelming support from leading corporations, employers and labour organizations. Thanks to these generous gifts, local United Way Centraides across Canada are able to work with local community service agencies to help the most vulnerable.
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Published March 29, 2020
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ANNOUNCES $9M FOR VULNERABLE SENIORS

United Way Centraide Canada welcomes the Government of Canada’s $9M funding announcement from the New Horizons for Seniors Program. Canadian seniors are at great risk of poor health outcomes due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. Vulnerable seniors, such as those living in social isolation or poverty, are at even greater risk.
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Published March 13, 2020
COVID-19 INFORMATION SOURCES FOR CANADIAN RESIDENTS

We are committed to providing accurate and up-to-date information to Canadian residents about responses to the novel coronavirus across the country. Read more to find useful links for local information.
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