Thirteen local agencies supported by the United Way of Guelph and Wellington County will see new or increased funding this year.
Eleven agencies will receive an increase in their annual funding, which in total amounts to a 21% increase for those agencies over last year’s levels:
– Canadian Red Cross Disaster Services;
– Meals on Wheels;
– Centre Wellington Food Bank;
– Chalmers Community Services Centre – Chalmers Outreach Program Community Resource Centre Outreach and Support Program;
– Community Torchlight and Distress Centre Wellington Dufferin Distress Line Listening Service;
– East Wellington Advisory Group for Family Services – Community Support Program
– Food and Friends, student nutrition program;
– John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington for
Community Aftercare;
– Michael House, Residential Program;
– Project Serve; and
– St. John Ambulance Guelph Branch, Brigade First Aid program, and dog therapy program
Additionally, two agencies will receive first-time funding from the United Way: Anishnabeg Outreach Services and Immigrant Services of Guelph-Wellington. Anishnabeg Outreach Services will receive $2,900 in one-year funding for its suicide prevention program.
Immigrant Services will receive three-year funding of $5,000 per year for their Be the Change program.
In total, 49 local agencies will receive United Way funding this year.
“We work to ensure that donated dollars are distributed to where they will have the most effect in our community,” noted Ken Dardano, executive director of the United Way of Guelph and Wellington.
The difference between funds raised and funds distributed was explained by Dardano as being in part due to pledge loss. Much of the money raised during the campaign is pledged to come in over the course of the next year as payroll deductions. If people leave their jobs or companies close, some of those pledged dollars are lost.
The United Way holds back on releasing all pledged dollars to account for that. Funds are also held back to allow for emergency needs in the community that arise during the year, and for administrative costs. "If all or some of what we have held back to account for pledge loss does come in, we distribute it in future years,” Dardano said. For example, in 2008 we distributed an additional $77,000 held back from previous years."
Thanks to the contributions of local donors, United Way’s member agencies are able to provide vital support to people throughout Guelph and Wellington County. A full list of United Way agencies is available at www.unitedwayguelph.com/services_we_support.
