Well, you get people involved in the community and your people just get better than they already are. We all do. I think I’m a better person for my involvement in it.
Making poverty
#UNIGNORABLE
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A Message from the Chair of the Board and the President & CEO
Economic recovery, donor resonance, digital innovation and engaging new generations. These were just some of the drivers of change our United Way worked through over the last fiscal year. But in a community as resilient as ours, we know that change means new opportunity, new potential and new approaches to getting the job done.
Our job is to change the lives of families and individuals struggling in poverty. It’s the best kind of change we can make happen in our community. And in the 2018-19 fiscal year, led by a new President and CEO, our United Way tackled it head on.
As our economy continued to recover, we were inspired through the hundreds of workplace campaigns that took place, and we grew support for new initiatives, such as All in for Youth. We connected with community members in new ways by participating in local events and launching new learning opportunities, like the Brain Architecture Game, which focuses on the minds of young children and how experiences affect their development. And we continued the journey toward bringing more innovative digital experiences to supporters and people interested in our cause.
We ushered in a new Community Investment Strategy, focused on seven desired results. These are being shaped into compelling investment opportunities for donors and organizations looking to become major game changers in the fight against poverty.
Then, as we turned the page on another year, we saw some of the best up and coming change makers celebrate their efforts, as over 300 students from 20 local schools presented solutions they created as part of Dentons Make Your Mark on Poverty, an inspiring annual initiative of our United Way.
Seeing the meaningful difference we’re making together today, and the incredible growing efforts of tomorrow’s generation, we embrace this time of change with enthusiasm and renewed inspiration for our vision of a poverty free community.
Jane Halford, Chair, 2018 Board of Directors
Rob Yager, President & CEO
Focused on Impact
We are focused on impact.
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$0
invested in the community impact fund.
Where does it go?
Break the Cycle
$256
Lift People Out
$55
Provide a Safety Net
$189
$38
Early Learning & Development
Children have age appropriate skills and development in the early years. (0-5 years)
$218
Child and Youth Success
Children and youth have the community supports they need to succeed in school.
$15
Financial Stability
Provide people with access to financial literacy education, government benefits and subsidies, asset building and savings programs.
$40
Employment & Basic Security
Individuals have the capacity to obtain and retain employment that provides for basic economic security.
$74
Information & Referral
Individuals and families can access a network of community supports to address their needs.
$88
Comprehensive Mental Health Supports
Individuals and families have access to comprehensive mental health supports.
$27
Basic Needs
People are able to access and maintain their basic needs.
Calculate your impact with the online Impact Calculator.
The Impact Calculator provides supporters with an online tool that easily illustrates the impact of their donations by simply entering in a fundraising goal and dollars raised.
By the Numbers
8,120
Coats donated through Coats for Kids and Families
1,500
Kid Kits produced for children of families in need
15,051
School Kits given to kids through Tools for School
549
Home Kits given to newly housed families
4,500
Care Kits given at Homeless Connect
Finding a New Path
Emily left home at the age of 16. Struggling to manage life and school, she was ready to drop out.
That’s when a United Way funded success coach at her school reached out to help her chart a different path.
Through counselling, Emily developed new skills and learned how to thrive in her classes and in life. But most importantly, the success coach inspired her to believe in herself.
Emily’s new path was made possible because of United Way donors who love our community.
Emily is now a high school graduate and on the path to fulfilling her dreams. One of those dreams is to give back to her community.
2018 Snapshot
Our 2018 Campaign Success
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Message from the Campaign Co-chairs
Sarah Chan • 2018 Campaign Co-chair, United Way
Andre Corbould • 2018 Campaign Co-chair, United Way
During the 2018 campaign, United Way of the Alberta Capital Region – together with countless volunteers and supporters – showed that poverty is #UNIGNORABLE. A unique approach, supported by a vibrant custom colour designed by the Pantone Colour Institute, highlighted poverty and many related issues, such as domestic violence, homelessness and high school dropout rates.
Through these efforts, $24 million was raised to support families and individuals struggling in our community. This would not have been possible without the generosity of donors, volunteers, workplaces and foundations throughout the region who showed how much they love their local community by giving back.
It was truly inspiring to see the community join forces and it was an honour to serve as co-chairs in support of these efforts. In 2018 alone, an incredible 283,000 local people got the help they needed to escape or avoid the pitfalls of poverty. We know that if we continue to work together, we can achieve the vision of a poverty-free community where all children can reach their full potential, where all individuals and families can attain independence and financial stability, and where everyone can enjoy a strong sense of well-being and safety.
$24 million
Raised in 2018
$13.7 million
From Individual Donors
$5.4 million
From Corporate Partners
$4.9 million
From Grants, Sponsorships and Foundations
Over this past year, community members across our region joined United Way in helping make local poverty #UNIGNORABLE.
Thousands of supporters and volunteers took action against poverty by donating their time and resources to the cause. Many also helped raise awareness by using their voice on social media, causing #UNIGNORABLE to trend on Twitter. The community even joined in by cheering on United Way in person and on national television as it participated in the Grey Cup Parade.
United Way’s #UNIGNORABLE campaign drew on a long tradition of art for social change.
United Ways across Canada partnered with the Pantone® Color Institute to create Unignorable — a colour developed specifically to highlight local issues and bring attention to the millions of Canadians impacted by them. The world-renowned artist Malika Favre utilized this colour to shine a light on poverty and its related issues through thought-provoking illustrations.
#UNIGNORABLE Installation
Artists in the Alberta Capital Region joined in efforts as well. The Unignorable colour was brought to life through two art installations that travelled throughout the Alberta Capital Region. The first was created by local artists Smooth Pursuit and Elemental Interior Design and included educational facts about local issues and the stories of people whose lives were transformed thanks to United Way supporters.
Graffiti Wall
The second was a large graffiti wall created by the Edmonton based artists Real Fresh Canvas Co. and Rust Magic which invited viewers to share why local poverty is #UNIGNORABLE to them.
While the campaign made great strides in bringing the issue of poverty and those affected by it to the forefront, more work remains to be done. That is why United Way is committed to continuing its work to make poverty #UNIGNORABLE and is excited to see what can be accomplished next year with the help of its supporters.
The #UNIGNORABLE Campaign
Every step you take to support United Way moves another family further along their pathway out of poverty.
Your Dollars at Work
You are Breaking the Cycle by helping children succeed through their school years.
Highlights in 2018:
6,400 families received early learning and parenting supports
24,000 students participated in healthy development programs
5,000 children participated in nurturing after school programs
You are Lifting People Out by helping individuals and families to build job skills and financial stability.
Highlights in 2018:
4,800 people received help filing their income taxes and accessing benefits
1,400 vulnerable community members received financial literacy training
2,100 individuals got help obtaining and retaining employment
You are Providing a Safety Net by supporting basic needs and personal well-being.
Highlights in 2018:
68,000 participants accessed healthy meals or food hampers
19,700 individuals facing mental health challenges got counselling
2,500 people who experienced domestic violence received caring supports
Donors & Volunteers
Donors & Volunteers
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Awards of Excellence
The Award of Excellence is a recognition award presented to organizations in the Alberta Capital Region that raised more than $1,000,000 in 2018. The following organizations were recognized at this year’s Red Tie Gala on February 21, 2019:
$1,300,000+
$1,400,000+
$2,400,000+
Partners play an integral role in the implementation of United Way’s work in the region.
Engaging Our Community
Engaging our Community
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Video Gallery
2018 Videos
Communities United
Communities United continues to make strides in developing strong partnerships among community groups, local agencies, businesses, schools, and community leagues in the core neighbourhoods of Bannerman, Clareview, Fraser, Hairsine, and Kirkness. Taking a broad approach to promoting youth employment, Communities United organized career fairs at schools, job fairs with employers that are currently hiring, youth employment workshops, free babysitting certification workshops, soccer referee training, and supported youth entrepreneurship.
Dentons Make Your Mark on Poverty
Twenty-one schools in the Alberta Capital Region tackled local poverty with project grants from Dentons Make Your Mark on Poverty. This United Way initiative is designed to empower and inspire the next generation of philanthropic leaders in our community. Students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 had a unique opportunity to learn about poverty in their communities and contribute to projects which included a student breakfast club, collections of warm clothing to donate to people in need, a program to cut down on food waste, construction of a tower of non-perishable items for the food bank, and a street art project to highlight the challenges of homelessness.
Financial Pathways Collaborative
An unprecedented eight financial institutions and three community groups have been working together to provide financial education in the Edmonton region for the last three years. The collaborative trained nearly 100 volunteers from financial institutions to go out into the community and present their financial knowledge through free “Each One, Teach One” financial literacy workshops and information booths. Through this initiative, more than 1,300 individuals were empowered with financial knowledge.
GenNext
The GenNext Initiative is a committee of young professionals from a diverse group of workplaces and professional backgrounds working to inspire their peers to become the next generation of philanthropic leaders. Committee members planned and hosted the first ever GenNext Mixer. The event was a success and sold out with over 100 attendees who learned how they could take action against the #UNIGNORABLE issue of local poverty.
2018 Event Highlights
793
Campaign Kickoff attendees
245
Speaker presentations given
269
Days of Caring held
723
Red Tie Gala attendees
2,488
volunteers supporting various agencies
493
Poverty simulation participants
All in for Youth
All in for Youth uses a wrap-around approach to support the diverse and complex needs of socially vulnerable children, youth and families in five demonstration schools. The model brings together the expertise of partners from community agencies, school boards, funding organizations and government. During its second year of implementation, approximately 2,100 students accessed universal supports for overall well-being; 921 youth were supported with learning during critical Out of School Time hours, over 900 students were provided with breakfast, lunch and snacks, 824 family members received short term interventions, and 238 students received one-on-one mentorship.
Women United
Women United’s vision is for the most vulnerable girls in our city to complete high school with pride in themselves, their community and their culture. In the year since the Women United affinity group launched, the commitment and dedication of women in our community has been inspiring. Sarah Chan hosted An Evening with Sarah and Porsche hosted Horsepower and Heels, two key events that brought members and guests of Women United together to share in the experience of learning about at-risk youth and the power to changes lives. Through their efforts 318 girls in three schools targeted for support by Women United received the All in for Youth wrap-around services they need to succeed.
Community Mental Health Action Plan
The Community Mental Health Action Plan is a partnership of more than 50 organizations working to help all organizations maximize mental health and addiction supports and services. For the first time security and staff working at City Centre Mall were provided mental health and trauma training. The training means that mall security will not only be better equipped to support themselves in understanding their own mental health, but be better at supporting visitors who come through the mall.
What People are Saying
Discover the inspiring words, videos, and posts of community members united in fighting #UNIGNORABLE local poverty. Visit UnitedWayStoriesYEG.ca
Poverty is #UNIGNORABLE. That's why I just gave to @myunitedway to help them create pathways out of poverty in #yeg! https://t.co/ZWLuAuCyXW
— Dennis Agbegha (@DAgbegha) October 2, 2018
Since 1982 AGLC has been a loyal contributor to the @myUnitedWay campaign, raising a total of $767,825. We are proud of our rich history of giving to the communities where we live and work across the province. Our kickoff was a great success with Roary the Lion. #unignorable pic.twitter.com/zqhWqH2m6b
— AGLC (@AGLC) October 2, 2018
We were fortunate enough to enjoy a #TacoTuesday to kick off our @myunitedway campaign but the reality is that there are too many individuals unable to put food on their table. That’s why we are working hard to make poverty #UNIGNORABLE in #YEG pic.twitter.com/uuuMUEgrfu
— The Family Centre (@tfcnalberta) October 9, 2018
Our annual Employee Giving Campaign provides opportunities for our employees to get out in the community - not just in #yyc. A huge thank you to our volunteers in #yeg who helped @myunitedway to build a gazebo, lay flooring, paint sheds and replace roofing for a local agency! pic.twitter.com/HS7mAEfSga
— Fluor Canada (@fluorcanada) October 18, 2018
Powerful/eye-opening/stressful/frustrating/scary experience - but I recommend folks to participate in @myunitedway’s Poverty Simulation. Poverty robs kids of their potential & steals hope from families that struggle to build lives of stability and independence. #UNIGNORABLE #yeg pic.twitter.com/NdIB4iLOsR
— Steph Perilli (@stephperilli) October 23, 2018
Brain architecture game with @myunitedway and participants @Zorbulous @LindsayTrembla3 showed us the importance of early positive experiences for children to help prevent/end poverty #UNIGNORABLE pic.twitter.com/d9TRNOetJz
— MichelleDevlin (@michelledevlin) November 14, 2018
Thank You!
Thank you for changing lives.
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