United Way aims to help 120,000

Police Chief Bryan MacCulloch chairs drive to help local agencies

United Way Niagara launched its annual campaign Wednesday and, like last year, COVID-19 continues to fuel the need for assistance in the community.

Also like last year, instead of a monetary goal for the campaign, it set a human one: It wants to help 120,000 people across Niagara.

“The need is no less than last year,” said executive director Frances Hallworth, adding last year’s campaign ended up reaching about 131,000 residents.

“The emergency funding we received from the Government of Canada and through our COVID-19 emergency response fund helped us to distribute more funds to more agencies very quickly.

“That played a big part in us being able to help more people than our original goal. This year, we don’t have access to that additional funding.”

This year’s campaign chair is Niagara Regional Police Chief Bryan MacCulloch.

At Wednesday’s video launch, he said, “I’m proud to be leading the campaign this year.

“With the many challenges facing our community’s most vulnerable as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I personally felt compelled to get involved and to do all I can to raise the necessary funds to help our community recover.”

Donations to the campaign can be made at UnitedWayNiagara.org.

United Way Niagara supports more than 100 agencies and invests in 216 programs that serve residents across the region.

“We knew that many people in Niagara were living on the margins before the pandemic,” said Hallworth, “but this has shown us that too many people are just one paycheque away from a crisis.

“Many people were accessing services for the first time. The cost of housing has skyrocketed, which puts people in the position of choosing to pay rent or buy food.”

The pandemic has also been a mental-health strain for people and has led to higher demand for services such as counselling and crisis-line support.

United Way Niagara was able to host its golf tournaments, which are key fundraisers, but other events are staying virtual. It is running a Catch The Ace lottery with weekly draws.

It’s also midway through a pilot series of pop-up markets in neighbourhoods with higher needs, in partnership with Niagara Community Garden Network.