Thank you Paulina, for caring about our communities!
It is a bittersweet week for all of us at UWSM as we say goodbye and wish an incredible and happy retirement to Paulina Robertson, our Senior Relationship Manager.
Paulina has spent 25 years with United Way, both here in Simcoe Muskoka and with other communities. For those who worked with Paulina, both our staff and our donors, she will be sorely missed. The passion and expertise Paulina brought to our organization, our communities and the vulnerable residents we assist is an inspiration to anyone who worked with her.
Paulina, we wish you all the best in this next stage of your life and thank you for your dedicated work with United Way!
An update from our CEO, Dale Biddell
As we continue to support our communities during the coronavirus pandemic, United Way Simcoe Muskoka is here to ensure that those who need assistance are able to get it. Through our expanded Urgent Needs Fund, increased mental health supports and funding for our front line services to adapt to meet the new needs of COVID-19.
Click here to hear from our CEO, Dale Biddell, about how United Way Simcoe Muskoka has been helping our communities.
Funding available for COVID-19 relief
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations in Canada. The Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) aims to help charities and nonprofit organizations adapt and increase front line services during COVID-19.
Since the pandemic started, these organizations have been working tirelessly to provide emergency support while demand for these services increased dramatically. The ECSF is designed to help these organizations and ensure no one is left behind. United Way Simcoe Muskoka is pleased to support this vital investment by the Government of Canada in critical services for vulnerable people in our community.
Ensuring supports for vulnerable seniors
While the coronavirus pandemic continues to hurt our communities and residents, many of our senior residents face increased mental, physical and social health risks. Social isolation, lack of transportation, difficulty with digital devices and help accessing food have all been issues that vulnerable senior residents of Simcoe Muskoka continue to face at an increased rate due to COVID-19.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, United Way Simcoe Muskoka distributed $130,000 to support 2,513 local seniors through 10 projects. The funds were used to address critical needs for local seniors, including groceries and medication, mental health and wellbeing programs and access to digital equipment and training.
Nationally through the NHSP, more than 1.3M interventions were offered to support 705,107 vulnerable seniors during the pandemic through 936 programs offered by a network of 876 community agencies across Canada. Grants issued through the NHSP total $8,593,461. Grant amounts ranged from $110 to $97,852, and the average grant size was $9,181.
Read a full overview of national outcomes on United Way Centraide Canada’s website
Click here to read our media release for the New Horizons for Seniors Program
If you require assistance, we encourage you to call 211 (dial 2-1-1) to be connected to local resources and services.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic.
For those in our community who already face barriers like poverty, social isolation, food insecurity and homelessness, help is needed now more than ever.
In order to help those who need it most, we need your support. It’s this support that will ensure the resources that our communities need will be there when they need them.
Everyone has an important role to play.
When you give to United Way Simcoe Muskoka, you help provide basic needs for local residents
