Mental Health Week: Supporting our community service workers
May 2, 2022
The pandemic has affected all of us, but not all equally. As we support each other this Mental Health Week, United Way Centraide is placing a particular focus on workers in community agencies, who play a vital role in serving the most vulnerable across …
Read moreUnited Way Centraide network mourns passing of Dennis Jackson
April 28, 2022
It is with great sadness and condolences to his family that United Way Centraide Canada mourns the passing of Dennis Alfred Jackson. Dennis was a pivotal community leader and champion of United Way Centraide. From 2015-2017, Dennis chaired the United C …
Read moreWhat ending racism would mean for our communities
March 18, 2022
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is held annually on the 21st of March. It commemorates the day in 1960, when the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire on a peaceful protest against apartheid pass laws, kill …
Read moreBlack History Month – Stories we love
February 28, 2022
United Ways and Centraides across Canada have also been celebrating Black excellence in their communities this Black History Month. Here are a few of those stories: Advocating for Change – United Way Halifax The community of East Preston is a tight-kni …
Read more211 poised to connect Canada’s seniors to services
February 11, 2022
While many of us have experienced illness, loneliness and stress through this pandemic, COVID-19’s impact on vulnerable seniors has been especially distressing. Isolation has taken a toll on seniors living in long-term care homes and for those living i …
Read moreUnited Way Centraide Canada Statement Regarding the Ottawa Protest
February 1, 2022
As a national network of local community builders, United Way Centraides are committed to ensuring Canada becomes a truly equitable, safe, and inclusive place, particularly for Indigenous peoples, racialized and marginalized communities. We support the …
Read moreMoving forward together
November 19, 2021
There is a special onus on those of us who are most fortunate to help others. The more we give, the more we will make a difference. I get involved, I give, and I stand strong with my fellow human beings. The key value in my life is respect for people. …
Read moreCommunity Services Recovery Fund
January 27, 2022
United Way Centraide Canada (UWCC), along with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) and Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), has been solicited by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to apply to serve as an intermediary of the Community Services …
Read moreKindness, caring & respect more important than ever
January 26, 2022
With 2022 well underway, I have been reflecting on the year ahead and how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to slow down a bit over the holidays and recharge. With the rapid emergence of Omicron and the 5th wave of this Pandemic, our front-line …
Read moreGiving Tuesday – Building a long-term relationship with your community
November 30, 2021
This Giving Tuesday I, like many of you, am thinking of the needs of my community as we remain under the weight of COVID-19. The pandemic has been a long, acute global crisis playing out at a local scale in all regions of Canada and around the world, w …
Read moreA winner at the game of life
November 12, 2021
As a person with an intellectual disability, it’s not always so easy for me to reach out to others. Yet, I know I have much to offer because I am sociable, friendly, and cheerful. It’s important for me to have friendships. I have to overcome other obs …
Read moreIt’s a privilege to do this
November 9, 2021
My husband Shawnn and I feel our community involvement is a privilege. We get to do this, while so many people can’t. When we took over a hotel and campground in a small community, one of the first things we did was reach out to the local United Way. W …
Read moreVolunteering, I recommend it!
November 5, 2021
I learned many skills through volunteering, it helps me in networking and keeps my brain active. For me, it’s been nothing but beneficial. I recommend it! I started using hard drugs in my twenties, then I went to university to earn a degree in communit …
Read moreSupport during hard times
November 2, 2021
My wife, Shanta, has Alzheimer’s. Before I found United Way, it was very difficult. She’s the patient, but I was the sufferer—she didn’t know what was wrong, but I did, and I was in misery. We moved to Canada in 2003 to join our children. We lived in a …
Read moreA personal revelation led to a commitment to giving back
October 26, 2021
I started my career in New York. I’d gone to grad school in the States—my degree was in public policy and international affairs—and after I graduated, I got a job working for the city government there. My building was a block away from the Twin Towers. …
Read moreSocial commitment, an economic necessity
October 25, 2021
Social engagement is a very important thing in my family. It was impressed upon us early on, as my parents were very involved in their community. My sister and I participated in student movements at college and university. When I entered the workforce, …
Read moreOvercoming isolation alongside other immigrant women
October 22, 2021
I was born in Kazakhstan, in a village called Merké, where I lived until I was 16. Then, I left to study medicine, and I met my husband, who is from Azerbaijan. He was studying in France at that time, and I went to join him. We then decided to emigrate …
Read moreFeeding families—and community
October 19, 2021
When the pandemic started, I saw that people in my community were struggling. Not everyone had enough to eat. Now, I’m a single foster parent of three kids, so I keep a stocked pantry—lots of meat, vegetables, soups, that kind of stuff. I also grew up …
Read moreMore than just a meal
October 14, 2021
I was raised in a small village and when I moved to the big city, you’d rarely find a soul who was willing to give a hand. That’s what makes United Way so important—I was one of those people that needed the service, and I realized it was something I co …
Read moreBuilding on a family tradition
October 13, 2021
Like a lot of people, the reason I got involved with United Way was my family. I was born in India, but we moved to Saudi Arabia when I was four, then moved to Calgary when I was 10. Regardless of where we were, my parents have always been philanthropi …
Read moreA journey to wellness
October 7, 2021
When I found United Way, I was suffering from depression and anxiety. Every night, I was going to bed praying that I would not wake up the next day. But even when my depression was at its worst, I knew there must be a different life. I am originally fr …
Read moreIt’s not about stamp collecting
October 6, 2021
When I was first asked if I knew what a “philanthropist” was, I confidently answered—“Sure, that’s someone who collects stamps!” Well, I immediately learned differently. I didn’t see myself as a philanthropist then, and I’m not sure I consider myself t …
Read moreFinding a way out of the pandemic
October 1, 2021
“I have always been a gregarious person, so the pandemic proved especially tough for me. Here I was confined all alone inside the seniors’ home where I was living. I felt like a prisoner. Until then, I led an interesting life. I had two children from m …
Read moreNational Day for Truth and Reconciliation
September 29, 2021
This September 30 is Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a statutory holiday announced by the Government of Canada. The day is an important step in the reconciliation process, providing an opportunity to acknowledge our country’s …
Read moreA history of helping others
September 21, 2021
“I began my career in 1988 in London, Ontario as a Business Banking trainee with TD Bank. TD was involved in a program with United Way called the “Loaned Rep” program and I was “loaned” to United Way for the duration of their annual campaign.” …
Read moreA dream for the future
September 15, 2021
“I’ve been involved with United Way since before I was officially a member of any organizations, because my dad and all his siblings were members when they were little, too. I think it’s cool—I don’t look a lot like my dad, but when people hear my name …
Read moreCharities are vital to Canada’s recovery, but time is running out
August 10, 2021
An equitable recovery for the most vulnerable cannot be addressed through vaccines alone. Long-term support—from trusted community and human service charities like United Way Centraide Canada—is also necessary. This week, United Way Centraide Canada Pr …
Read moreDisability Pride Month: Creativity and courage in the face of societal barriers
July 22, 2021
During the month of July, we’ve been celebrating Disability Pride Month. What started in the United States in 1990 has become a global movement of empowerment and visibility for those with disabilities. In Canada, although the month is not yet recogniz …
Read moreStories to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 21, 2021
National Indigenous Peoples Day is a celebration of the diverse original cultures of Turtle Island. This year, it’s especially poignant as we mourn the discovery of 215 children who died at Kamloops Indian Residential School. As more of these discoveri …
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