Transforming poverty to possibilities; creating healthy people and strong communities; and helping kids and families be all they can be.
These will be the new focus of the United Way of South Niagara.
The three focus areas will become the community priorities of the local United Way as part of our ongoing transformation process.
The three priorities were chosen by our board of directors after an extensive review that included community consultation, and an online survey as well as review of the United Way-Centraide Canada's new branding strategy.
In our Transforming for Community Impact Progress Report released in May 2011, the United Way of South Niagara (UWSN) reports the community priorities will be:
- From poverty to possibility
- Healthy people, strong communities; and
- All that kids and families can be.
The priorities align closely with the United Way-Centraide Canada's three focus areas, identified in the recently released branding strategy, but are also consistent with the priorities identified through the public consultation process.
In March 2011, a series of three community consultation sessions were held in Pelham, Port Colborne and Welland.
In May we also held an additional consultation session with the francophone community.
More than 54 people attended the four sessions and provided feedback on community needs and root causes for those needs. The online survey was also well received.
The survey was sent to 1,500 local residents and agencies and we had an above-average response. We were very pleased with the turn out at these sessions and the feedback we received through the survey.
The results showed poverty, transportation, education to employment, access to health care, an aging population, needs of children and families, and services for special needs, were all priority needs in South Niagara.
We have ensured all of the concerns expressed through the public consultation process will be covered by the three community priority areas. For example, poverty, transportation and education to employment issues will be covered by the poverty to possibilities focus, while access to health care and our aging population will fall under healthy people, strong communities, and all that kids and families can be will cover the needs of children and families as well as services for special needs.
As part of the community priority report, the board of directors has also chosen to support programs or initiatives that will address each of the priority areas.
While it will be difficult for us to address each and every priority identified by the community consultation process, by supporting programs and initiatives that address key aspects of the three priority areas we will be more focused in how we serve the community and can provide significant response to each key area.
We will be working very closely with our local agencies and other stakeholders in the next six to nine months to identify the key areas we should be funding in the coming year.
As part of the community priority focus, we will also be creating ways to measure program success and
community impact, to ensure measurable progress is achieved in each of the community priority areas.
The consultation process also demonstrated the United Way is a leadership organization within the community.
As a leadership organization, UWSN will also take a more proactive role by advocating with key decision makers; bringing organizations together to collaborate; linking with other funders; and engaging the broader community.
Part of that community engagement is an invitation from the UWSN for the public to attend presentations of the Community Impact Progress Report and hear more about the transformation process, the work done so far, and where the UWSN is headed for the future.
The board of directors is very pleased to invite the public to hear more about the priorities report in Pelham on Monday, June 6, in Welland on Tuesday, June 7, in Port Colborne on Monday, June 13, and in Waintfleet on Tuesday, June 14.
All presentations will be held during council meetings in each community's respective council chambers. All meetings begin at 7 p.m.
Dolores Fabiano is the communications chair of the United Way of South Niagara.
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