United Way Central Alberta launches 59th annual fundraising season

The luncheon featured two client ambassadors who shared their stories, giving supporters a stronger understanding of just who and what their generosity supports.

Dani Albers is a rural and daytime outreach worker for Turning Point, and a former user of the program herself.

“[UWCA] funding is so important to us. It’s what keeps us working to provide the supplies and support to these folks. It’s a balancing act,” she said.

Turning Point provides support and harm-reduction supplies to substance users in rural Alberta communities that lack the same service levels and opportunities that larger cities can provide. As someone that struggled with substance use herself, she said Turning Point, and UWCA’s support, has had a significant impact on her life.

She shared, ”Without them, Turning Point wouldn’t have been able to bring rural outreach to me and I wouldn’t have seen that there was a shot at getting out of that life.”

Another agency UWCA supports is the Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation and its Money Matters program, which provides financial, emotional, and physical support to those with cancer, referrals-free.

Des Smith was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, shortly after he and his wife purchased a new home. His income was reduced to long-term disability, about 60 per cent of what he made before, and his wife reduced her hours to help support him at home, changes that caused significant financial strain for the couple.

More than just helping the couple find funding opportunities where they could, Wellspring provided emotional and physical support resources as well.

“If you break a leg, after you get your cast off, they immediately send you to physiotherapy,” he said. “There isn’t that for cancer, we found out, and [Wellspring’s] not a government-funded thing, so without the United Way funding, Wellspring and some of their exercise programs and other programs, there’d be even less around to help people that need that support.”

For those hoping to contribute to the United Way this season, there are plenty of opportunities on the horizon. It’s first Kick Off 5K Run takes place on Sept. 22, a Whiskey Classic Tasting will be on Nov. 7, and there will be multiple Days of Caring volunteer initiatives, basic needs drives, and workplace fundraising events throughout the fall.

Additionally, Canadian Tire has partnered with the charity to match new leadership donations of $1,200 or more. Last year, these donations contributed $488,000 to the pot.

O’Donoghue shared that more than money makes a difference for the organization.

“When we come together, you can make real change. Whether it’s volunteering your time for an afternoon if that’s what you have to give, that’s amazing,” she said. “If it’s writing a cheque and that’s what you have to give, that’s amazing, but this all adds up and when the community comes together, we can see the impact.”

The UWCA supports central Albertans through three main focus areas: basic needs, mental health support, and brighter futures for youth in low-income households and seniors with disability.

O’Donoghue said that there are 38,860 central Albertans facing barriers to meet basic needs; one in five that will face mental health challenges in the year; 12.7 per cent of children and youth in low-income households; and 40 per cent of seniors living with disabilities.

Learn more at caunitedway.ca.

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by Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

United Way Central Alberta launches 59th annual fundraising season

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