As recovery continues throughout our community, more than 30% of donations to the United Way’s fire recovery fund has either been invested, committed or under review.
Over $85,000 has been allocated for the Tools for School program, providing schools supplies to students in the Public, Catholic, Northlands and Francophone school districts. Over 3,000 youth from kindergarten to grade 12 have been provided with the basic school supplies.
“This was an enormous project for all the partners involved,” said Diane Shannon, Executive Director. “In a normal year, we would help between 400 and 500 students. The need this year was on a scale that was unlike anything we have every seen before.”
Funding was also approved for the Support Through Housing Team’s Life Skills Program, helping the hard to house get essential life skills training for successful independent living.
Additional funds have been approved for the Golden Years Society to assist in their role of being a drop-in activity centre for seniors in the region, many of whom lived in devastated neighbourhoods.
HIV North Society also received funding support to continue the delivery of programming by helping replace revenues lost as a direct result of the wildfire and evacuation.
“We have been able to help a growing number of agencies in the community through this Fire Recovery Fund,” said John Evans, Community Investment Committee Chair. “We have a responsive funding application process in place and we’re able to effectively balance the need to maintain high levels of transparency and accountability with the need to get dollars to work in our community as quickly as possible to assist with recovery.”
The United Way is working collaboratively with many partners in the community, including the Canadian Red Cross, to support the recovery of the social infrastructure.
