A better community starts with you

Every year, PSAC members invest in their communities by supporting their local United Way.

Annual fundraising drives have kicked off across the Prairie Region and we’re asking Prairies members to reach into their pockets and continue their pattern of giving generously to an important community-focused charity.

“It really is the most effective way to reach out into the community,” says Marianne Hladun, Regional Executive Vice-President for the PSAC Prairie Region.

Hladun was heavily involved with her local United Way for years. Since the mid-90’s, she was a workplace canvasser and also participating on the Allocations Committee for three years assessing and recommending how monies would be distributed. 

“We would visit the different agencies and see what they do,” she explains. “We’d talk to the staff, and talk to the clients, and question every dollar they spent. It was amazing and reassuring to see first hand how effectively each agency is using their allocations.”

In 2006, the Saskatoon & District Labour Council appointed her to the United Way of Saskatoon and Area’s Board of Directors. 

During hard and uncertain economic times, it may be difficult to find the means to make charitable donations, but even small gifts add up. For $2 per week, the price of a cup of coffee, you could provide a year’s worth of emergency rations for youth in crisis. For $5 per week, you can help five women get training in basic childcare and matched with employment opportunities.

The labour movement has a long-standing relationship with the United Way. The Canadian Labour Congress and United Way first signed a joint statement of principles in 1988 and it was resigned in March 2012.

“It’s almost our legacy to the community,” says Charlotte Prokopow, Labour Director for the United Way of Winnipeg. “This is one of the ways that labour in this country, all over the country, impacts the lives of more than just our members.”

The United Way of Winnipeg has already reached 44 per cent of the 2012 goal of $20.4 million, but as Prokopow explains, money isn’t the only way people can give.

“We’re always looking for people to help out with events, get involved in fundraisers, and making phone calls. For us, Koats for Kids is coming up and that’s primarily volunteer driven,” she says. “Call your local United Way and ask to speak with the labour staff person in the office to find out how you can donate your time.”

This year, make a difference in your community and open a door to real and lasting change, and a better life for everyone.  Why United Way?  Because it’s where we live.