January 26, 2010 

United Way announces 2010-2013 Community Investments 

After reaching 101% of the 2009 campaign goal of $1,850,000, the United Way of Sarnia-Lambton Board of Directors has approved the 2010 to 2013 Community Investments to 35 programs in Sarnia-Lambton.  This 3 year commitment enables the funded organizations to do longer term planning with stabilized funding over the 3 years. 

The United Way of Sarnia-Lambton embarked on a new funding model in 2009 called the Community Impact Model. “This new model improves lives by mobilizing communities to create lasting changes in community conditions.  It is a new way of thinking – getting to the root causes of community problems and finding solutions together,” said Pam Gallant, Volunteer Community Investment Chair.  “The United Way of Sarnia-Lambton is addressing our community’s issues in three priority areas in order to achieve long-term results; we are coming together and forming partnerships to develop lasting solutions,” she added.  Soon every United Way in North America will develop similar funding models in their communities. 

The United Way of Sarnia-Lambton through local experts, partners, donors, service providers and residents, along with statistics and community consultations, has identified three Priority Areas that serve as the focus under which issues in our community fall.  They are: 

• Healthy, Safe and Independent Seniors
• Empowering and Strengthening Self Sustaining Families
• Supporting Youth at Risk to Achieve Positive, Personal Development

The United Way will place an even greater focus on the root causes of the community ills while working to understand all that is needed to create lasting changes in our community.  

The United Way is happy to announce that $600,000 will be invested in programs to support youth at risk, $329,000 in programs to keep our seniors healthy, safe and independent and $387,000 in programs to empower and strengthen self sustaining families in each of the next three years.  In addition to these investments, another $84,000 will be available for the Venture Grant program and $65,000 will be allocated to organizations through the Donor Option program.  Venture Grants are available on a year round basis to address new and emerging needs in our community that fit within the same three impact areas.     

Overall, 46% of the campaign will be invested in Youth, 25% in Seniors and 29% in Families. 

“These decisions are never easy to make” said Gallant, “but with the new model of funding, it has created a real focus on the identified priority areas.  As a result, the volunteers were able to recommend those programs and services that will have measurable impacts on not only the clients they serve, but the community as a whole.”      

“This year’s Community Investment decisions went through many discussions at all three levels,” said Gallant.  “Local volunteers involved with the Panel Reviews and the Community Investment Committee worked very hard and put many hours into the process.  There are a number of criteria volunteers look at when making recommendations,” she said. “They look at what outcomes and impacts the program has on clients, their families and our community, the financial responsibility of the agency, the effectiveness and efficiency of the program, the demographics of our community, and the degree of impact the program will have on the impact area.  All of these volunteers deserve a big thank you.”

Although some previously funded Agencies have received slight decreases, no currently funded Agency was eliminated. An increase of 6% was awarded to the Salvation Army Dental and Emergency Needs program, 55% increase to the Red Cross Meals on Wheels program, 34% increase to the Lambton Elderly Outreach Transportation program and 25% to the Boys and Girls Club Drop In Centre to service the downtown core.  Gallant was proud to point out that the current year’s funding plus the next 3 years commitment to the programs provided by Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and Rebound will total over $1,000,000, matching the generous contribution of Dow Canada to the Dow Youth Centre itself. 

Consistent with the United Way of Sarnia-Lambton’s reputation of being responsive to our community needs, Gallant also announced another investment in our community.

This community investment is a partnership between Union Gas, the United Way and the Salvation Army.  Union Gas has provided $20,000.00 to the United Way of Sarnia-Lambton for a program known as the ‘Winter Warmth Program’.  This fund provides emergency financial assistance for families struggling to pay their gas bill and also focuses on energy conservation to assist these households in lowering their energy costs.  Families and individuals needing one-timefinancial assistance to pay their heating bills can contact the Salvation Army (the intake Agency) for more information. 

Overall, the 2009 United Way Campaign raised $1,870,000.   

Community Investments 2010 to 2013 (annual amounts)