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Impacting Our Local Community

Lambton College Pickleball tournament logo

Sign up for our Pickleball tournament on March 23, 2024 hosted and presented by Lambton College Students.

Please note that there will be four divisions, each at different skill levels in the Men’s, Women’s and Mixed.  There will be just five teams in each of the divisions.  When you register, you will be asked to indicate your team’s skill level.

 

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From Poverty To Possibility

United Way is helping people move out of, or avoid, the cycle of poverty with access to nutritious, affordable and appropriate food security and with supports to access emergency shelters and to maintain safe and stable housing.

All That Kids Can Be

Investing in kids so they can succeed in school and develop supportive relationships. Giving children and youth the support they need to make healthy choices and to better handle life’s challenges.

Healthy People, Strong Communities

United Way is creating a strong, inclusive community connecting people of all ages to supports for their personal wellbeing – from addiction and mental health supports to helping seniors live independently.

2024 – 2025 Community Investments

United Way of Sarnia-Lambton volunteer Board of Directors has announced the 2023 campaign achievement of $1,472,000.  Thank you to all our volunteers and donors who made this campaign such a success.

United Way Announces 2024-2025 Community Investments

For Immediate Release – January 9, 2024

After a successful 2023 campaign that reached 105% of its needs target or $1,472,000, the United Way of Sarnia-Lambton can increase some program funding as well as fund two new programs.

On the evening of January 8, 2024, the volunteer Board of Directors approved the 2024 – 2025 Community Investments to 29 programs in Sarnia-Lambton, including a recent Critical Services Grant.  This funding portfolio maintains 23 existing funded programs, an increase to 2 funded programs, a decrease to 2 funded programs, the elimination of 1 funded program and funding to 3 new programs, 2 through the regular funding stream and the other through the Critical Services Grant Fund.

The volunteer United Way Board of Directors with the assistance of the volunteer Community Investment Committee changed its local Community Impact agenda after Covid 19 struck.  “The needs in our community changed during and after the pandemic.  As a result, the largest of our three funding priority areas is now ‘Poverty to Possibility’ which funds programs geared to help those living in poverty or homeless,” said Gerry Whitcombe, Community Investment Chair.  The other two funding priority areas are ‘All That Kids Can Be’ and ‘Healthy People, Strong Communities’. The current funding portfolios are as follows:

Poverty to Possibility – approximately 47% of available funding

Healthy People, Strong Communities – approximately 23% of available funding

All That Kids Can Be – approximately 30% of available funding

The volunteers identified which programs fit into which priority area and then had to work within the Board approved budget of each priority area.  “The volunteers also review the future measures for success of the programs and review the past successes of those programs which received funding during the last funding cycle,” said Whitcombe.  “Understanding the root causes of our community issues is the first step in working towards lasting change.  Collaboration and partnerships with other service providers is also a key part of our review process, working together not only avoids duplication and inefficiencies but creates more of a possibility of success for the clients.  All the volunteers deserve a big thank you for their time and dedication to this process, and we want to thank the thousands of donors as well” Whitcombe added.

Sarnia Lambton Suicide Prevention will not receive funding for 2024-25.  The recent roll out of the federally funded 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline along with suicide loss support groups being offered by Rapids Family Health Team led to this decision.  The Family Counselling Centre reduced their funding request by $37,800 for their Distress Line/Tel Check.  The Family Counselling Centre was chosen as the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline Hub and therefore will receive funding for the Distress Line side of this program.  The United Way will continue to fund the Tel Check side of the program $13,000 annually.  Funding was also reduced for the Salvation Army Dental program because of the recently announced federally funded Canadian Dental Care Plan which came into effect in December of 2023.

An increase of $13,240 was awarded to the BGC (Boys & Girls Club) Out of School programs and the Inn of the Good Shepherd received an increase of $5,000 for their Income Tax Clinics.  The BGC have expanded their programs to 4 new locations to better serve youth in need in more rural areas of Lambton County.  The Income Tax Clinic program continues to grow, last year it completed 3280 income tax returns for those who would otherwise not file and generated over $9.5 million in income for these households.

The two new programs receiving funding are the Big Brothers Big Sisters In School Mentoring and River City Vineyard’s Security Guard.  In School Mentoring provides one-to-one support to children ages 4-15 for one hour a week at the child’s school, during school hours.  River City Vineyard recently expanded their shelter with 40 additional beds: 25 more for men and 15 for women.  These beds are for the more difficult to house who have nowhere else to turn, which presents the need for increased safety and security measures for both staff and guests.  The Security Guard is highly trained and has experience dealing with unique shelter environments.

The Board of Directors also approved a one-year Critical Services Grant of $26,800 to Sarnia-Lambton Children’s Aid Society for trauma-specific therapies for clients in their Family Support Services program who have unresolved past trauma(s). These traumas left untreated can manifest and surface as symptoms such as having skewed world views, skewed views of themselves, severe anxiety, explosive anger, depression, battling intense mental health, drug misuse, repeating unhealthy parenting cycles within families, etc.

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For further information, please contact:

Dave Brown, Executive Director (519) 336-5452 Ext. 7 or email [email protected]

Gerry Whitcombe, Volunteer Community Investment Chair 519-466-6135

Community Investments 2024 to 2025

Big Brothers Big Sisters                                 Matching Program                              80000

Big Brothers Big Sisters                                 Big Bunch                                           20000

Big Brothers Big Sisters                                 Go Girls & Game On                          30000

Big Brothers Big Sisters                                 In School Mentoring                           18000

BGC (Boys & Girls Club)                                Out of School Programs                     94907

BGC (Boys & Girls Club)                                Summer Program                               12000

Canadian Red Cross                                      Meals on Wheels                                31000

Canadian Red Cross                                      Transportation                                    58000

Canadian Red Cross                                      Homeward Bound                               30000

Family Counselling Centre                             Counselling                                         87000

Family Counselling Centre                             Tel Check                                            13000

Habitat for Humanity                                       Handyman Program                           15000

Inn of the Good Shepherd                              Income Tax Clinics                             33000

John Howard Society                                     Rapid Housing                                    70000

Lambton Elderly Outreach                             Transportation                                    55000

Lambton Elderly Outreach                             Meals on Wheels                                16600

New Beginnings, ABI & Stroke Recovery      Community Integration                       20000

North Lambton CHC                                       Opening Doors (Sarnia & Forest)      60000

Rebound                                                         Early Intervention & Prevention          50000

River City Vineyard                                         Security Guard                                    71938

Salvation Army                                               Rent/Utility Assistance                        40000

Salvation Army                                               Dental Assistance                               10000

Salvation Army                                               Medical & RX Assistance                   10000

Salvation Army                                               Hearing Aid Assistance                      10000

VON                                                                School Food Program                       16650

Walpole Island First Nation                            Warming Shelter                                 55000

YMCA                                                             Resource Houses                               93600

YMCA                                                             Autism Summer Camp                       30000

Additional Community Investments

 

United Way Direct Community Services                                                                    170000

Donor Option to Other Agencies                                                                                90000

Children’s Aid Society Critical Services Grant                                                           26800

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