In the weeks since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, over 4.9 million people have fled the country and experts predict over 7 million will be forced to leave before the conflict is over. These are mainly women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable...
This year, World Habitat Day was on Monday, October 4 and World Homelessness Day is on Sunday, October 10. While this year’s World Habitat Day theme tackles the issue of sustainability and renewable resources used in housing, we wanted to take this time to reflect...
By: Deborah Burrows Remember the phrase “you get more than you give”? It fits perfectly when describing the benefits of volunteering. I’ve volunteered since I was 12. For over 30 years, I’ve been meeting interesting people, working on new challenges, seeing my contribution make a difference...
By: Deborah Burrows In addition to the issues UWSM and our partners address throughout Simcoe Muskoka, we like to highlight some great organizations working in our community. Deborah Burrows, one of our volunteers and Board Directors, spoke with Nikki Glahn about her group, Barrie Families Unite....
Social isolation is a devastating yet sometimes invisible facet of poverty. Now, during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects that social isolation has on individuals experiencing it have become magnified. What is Social Isolation? Social isolation is the state of being cut off from...
United Way Simcoe Muskoka’s Urgent Needs Fund, like all our programs, serves a large geographical area. Our communities include everything from the Town of Blue Mountains to Huntsville, from Penetanguishine down to Bradford—and everywhere in between. With such a large area, the Urgent Needs Fund needed...
