United Way/CPAN to re-launch Festival of Trees in fight against child poverty

Renfrew County United Way (RCUW) and the Renfrew County Child Poverty Action Network (CPAN) have expanded their partnership to stamp out child poverty in Renfrew County. As part of this effort, RCUW and CPAN are pleased to announce the re-launch of Festival of Trees – a popular pre-Christmas family event that was held in Pembroke in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The event will take place November 24, 2012 in the Petawawa Civic Centre, Petawawa, Ontario. All proceeds will be directed towards the fight against child poverty in Renfrew County.

Businesses, organizations and individuals are invited to assist with the Festival by becoming sponsors and/or volunteers. Please take a few minutes and review the attached brochures.

United Way Board elects new Executive

Renfrew County United Way’s Board held its annual organizational meeting on April 4, 2012 at which time a new executive committee was elected and members of board standing committees were selected.

Leading one of Renfrew County’s largest charity organizations for 2012-2013 season will be Bob French (Deep River), as Board Chair, Carole Devine (Eganville) as Vice-Chair, Mike Wright (Petawawa) as Past Chair, Gwen Greenstock (Petawawa) as Executive Secretary, Barbara Borutskie (Killaloe) as Treasurer and Chair of the Campaign Cabinet, and Cathi Fairfield (Arnprior) as Chair of the Funds Distribution Committee.

Other re-elected members of the Board are Shelley Rolland-Poruks (AECL), Loreen Russell (KI-Pembroke), Sue D’Eon (Deep River), Doug Steeves (Cobden), Fran Moyles (Petawawa), Major Stena Tarrant (CFB Petawawa), Krista Helferty (Renfrew), Laura Bannister (Deep River), and Shallan Dament (Pembroke representing the Generation Next Cabinet).

United Way Announces New Name

The United Way announced on March 05, 2010, that its corporate name had changed to “RENFREW COUNTY UNITED WAY” from United Way/Centraide of the Upper Ottawa Valley Inc. (UWUOV).

In announcing the change, United Way board chair, Mike Wright said the new name better reflected the region the agency now serves. UWUOV was incorporated in 1971 to fundraise on behalf of a number of health and social agencies delivering services in a region stretching from Pembroke/Petawawa to Whitney. In 1997, several large companies in Arnprior invited UWUOV to manage the proceeds from their United Way workplace campaigns and thus Renfrew South was added to the corporation’s area of responsibility. In 2008, the Deep River District United Way, which had been serving North Renfrew for many years prior to the creation of UWUOV, suggested the two organizations merge operations. Following a year of discussions, the two organizations amalgamated effective 2009 January 01 to provide unified United Way services in Renfrew County.

The name change was officially sanctioned by the Province of Ontario through an amendment of the corporation’s Letters Patent in July of 2009. However, with an impending move to new facilities and to avoid confusion during the 2009 fundraising campaign, it was decided to delay the announcement until early in 2010.

United Way Moves to New Location

Renfrew County United Way celebrated more than a name change on March 05, 2010, when volunteers and staff of the agency were joined by about seventy community and business leaders to officially open its new offices in the Westview Business Centre at 1330 Pembroke Street West in Laurentian Valley.

Officiating at the ribbon cutting ceremony to inaugurate the new office was United Way board chair, Mike Wright, along with Reeve Jack Wilson of the Township of Laurentian Valley, the Deputy Mayor of the City of Pembroke (Les Scott), the Deputy Mayor of the Town of Petawawa (Ed Chow) and Cheryl Gallant, MP for Renfrew - Nipissing - Pembroke.

“We are pleased to have you join us in this celebration of the United Way’s growing mandate in Renfrew County”, said Mike Wright. “Our new location provides us with much needed additional space within which we can provide improved service – not to mention the fact that this location offers better parking for our staff, volunteers, visitors and donors.” Wright pointed out that it was fitting that a new home had been found in Laurentian Valley as it was located between communities that provide the United Way with the bulk of its donations. “

United Way Announces Funding for 2010/11

Renfrew County United Way announced on March 05, 2010, that donor generosity during the 2009 Campaign will enable it to make available over $320,000.00 during 2010/11 to help deliver health and social services in the region.

“As a federated fundraiser, the United Way works on behalf of other non-profit agencies to address a variety of human service needs,” stated board chair, Mike Wright. “In fact, since it was established in Renfrew County, the United Way has raised over $15 million for re-distribution in our communities. The bulk of United Way donor dollars has gone to local member agencies while smaller amounts have also been distributed to agencies in other parts of Canada as designated flow-through dollars per our donor’s wishes”.

For the 2010/11 fiscal year, the United Way has committed $220,000.00 in Program Funding to twelve Member Agencies. These funds will help support a variety of services throughout Renfrew County including counselling for men and women in abusive relationships; day camps for special needs children; counselling for individuals and families dealing with personal or emotional difficulties; and, parent/child drop-in programs.

The Renfrew County United Way also announced that funds were available to any registered Canadian charitable agency operating in Renfrew County to meet emergent community needs. The Community Support Fund will provide a total of $20,000.00 to support one-time needs to a maximum of $1500.00 per initiative. As well, $30,000.00 has been set aside in the Project Fund that in the past has helped provide, among other initiatives, start-up funds for the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre and support to retrofit two vans, operated by Carefor Health & Community Services for non-emergency patient transfers in the county, with wheelchair lifts.

“While this level of funding is significant and covers a lot of needs”, said Mike Wright, “the United Way Board felt that more was needed to ensure long-term community support. Building the capacity of communities to react to and resolve significant issues and needs, and more importantly to strive to identify the root causes of issues, is a more sustainable approach to problem solving than merely throwing more and more scarce resources at the symptoms.”

As part of the United Way’s commitment to follow through with the high priority needs arising out of its 2007 Community Matters’ public consultation initiative, Board Past-Chair and chair of the United Way’s Planning & Assessment Committee, Etienne Lantos, announced the establishment of a “Strategic Priorities Fund”. The $23,329.00 the Board authorized for this fund will be used, along with other stakeholder resources, to focus on community-driven initiatives that fall within six broad strategic priorities, including youth, child poverty, transportation, medical services, seniors and safe affordable housing.

To address the need for sustainability of community support and to stress the need for total community commitment to address complex issues, Renfrew County United Way further announced that it was joining forces with the newly-formed Pembroke Petawawa District Community Foundation to establish a United Way Endowment Fund within the Foundation’s investment portfolio. The United Way committed over $27,000.00 to establish this endowment, the principal of which will remain in perpetuity, while the interest eventually will be made available for investment in future community development that addresses high priority needs. In announcing the endowment fund, Bob French, Board Vice-Chair, invited other members of the community to join with the United Way in building up the fund to a level that will result in meaningful amounts of working capital (e.g. interest). “It is important that community members besides the United Way invest in the community through this fund. The endowment fund is an excellent vehicle to ensure that donor giving can grow for future benefits,” said French. The United Way, through its amalgamation with the former Deep River District United Way, is working in a similar way with the Deep River District Community Foundation to provide long-term benefits to the communities it serves.