For 75 years, United Way’s purpose has been to raise funds to support programs for people and families and this year is no exception. The group took to City Hall on Monday, Sept. 12 to celebrate and raise the United Way flag with help from about 45 guests from business and agency partners.
Trudy Carrels, United Way’s Executive Director says that although she hasn’t been with the organization long, she has seen the difference United Way-funded programs have made in people’s lives and that helping doesn’t need to feel like a burden.
“Each year, United Way is asked for over a million dollars in funding for programs that truly help people and families,” says Carrels. “If every person in South Western Alberta gave $7.50 a month for a year, we’d be able to meet that demand. We’re the original crowdfunders, in a sense.”
To officially open the Campaign season the Kinsmen Foundation presented a donation of $40,000 to United Way, which also marked over a million dollars in Kinsmen Foundation giving in the community.
“We’ll never get ahead if we don’t work together,” says local Kinsmen Club president, Blair Foster. “United Way is about everyone working together to make things better and that’s something the Kinsmen can get behind, That’s why we chose United Way for this milestone donation.”
United Way raises funds by encouraging affordable and repeating donations in the form of payroll pledges. Individual employees can give a little from each paycheque and those amounts are often matched by the company in order to make a bigger impact.
“One-time donations year-round are also a wonderful way to support the community,” says Carrels, “And making a payroll pledge at your workplace during the campaign is an easy way to give a little and do a lot.”
For more information on United Way’s Employee Giving Campaign and how your support helps locally, please contact United Way at 403-327-1700 or email www.lethbridgeunitedway.ca .