Last month in our e-newsletter, I acknowledged that these are challenging times: the work of charities like your United Way will be under intensified pressure in the coming years to do more with potentially less. However, there is a way that donors can increase their gifts without directly impacting their week-to-week ability to pay the bills and cover their own household expenses: through a gift of stocks, stock options, or mutual funds.

Your United Way has partnered with RBC Dominion Securities to manage these types of gifts so that we can deliver on our charitable mission today and continue to serve our community tomorrow. Not only that, but there are often financial benefits to making a gift of securities for the donor as well.

To learn how making this type of a gift can positively impact your own personal financial position, we encourage you to reach out to your investment advisor; if you are interested in learning how these types of gifts can benefit your United Way, I am always available to chat.

I thank you for your ongoing support. For information on how to make a gift of securities to strengthen your community, go to United Way Simcoe Muskoka | Planned Giving.

Season 2 of Resilience Rising now available!

Resilience Rising, a co-production of United Way Simcoe Muskoka and CFS Counselling + Wellbeing drops this month across podcast platforms, with new broadcast partner Rogers TV airing all eight episodes on its Simcoe County Network.

Resilience Rising shatters poverty myths, sparks optimism, and fuels innovative change through community-inspired discussions.

Watch on Rogers TV, listen wherever you get your podcasts, or check out the video version on our YouTube channel

Keeping Families in Their Homes: A Proactive Approach to Preventing Homelessness

A sudden financial crisis shouldn’t mean losing your home. The Home Relief Bank provides interest-free loans to individuals and families facing temporary hardship, offering a lifeline that keeps them housed and stable. Your gift fuels this vital program, preventing homelessness before it begins and strengthening our communities. By investing in home stability, you’re reducing the strain on social services and ensuring a brighter future for families in Simcoe Muskoka.

Donate today to give families the security of home

The People and Partners Behind United Way Simcoe Muskoka

Thank You, Ontario Provincial Police!

Your dedication to community well-being goes far beyond public safety. Through your workplace campaign you raised an astounding $45,717.40 – a testament to your generosity and commitment to the people of Simcoe Muskoka.

Your community driven events, from the OPP Truck Pull to the Chili Cookoff, brought people together in support of lasting change.

On behalf of United Way Simcoe Muskoka, and the lives you’ve changed, thank you.

Employee Spotlight: Colin Green, Manager, Community Investment & Capacity Building

Colin has spent the last 40 years working in the not-for-profit world in organizations such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, Hepatitis Nova Scotia, The Gilbert Centre, and the Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy before joining United Way Simcoe Muskoka in November of 2023.  After so many years in front line securing funds to address community need, Colin now gets to support and build the capacity of partner agencies and staff who are addressing the increasing complexity of homelessness and poverty both locally and across rural and remote Ontario.