Bernardine and her husband, Jerome moved to London two years ago to be closer to their children.
Originally from India, they spent 20 years building a successful life in Dubai. Bernardine was the head mistress of a prestigious primary school and Jerome was a guidance counselor. Their hard work made it possible for their two children to attend university overseas, and both chose to study in Canada. Leaving their satisfying careers and life in Dubai was a difficult decision, but they were excited to find success in their new country.
Bernardine hit the ground running. She took training courses to update her skills, volunteered and networked. Soon, she found a job. Then Jerome became ill. Bernardine had to leave her job in order to take care of him. For the first time, her confidence was shattered.
“I was so determined to succeed in our new life but I found out it wasn’t as easy as I hoped,” Bernardine says. “I got overwhelmed.”
Out of work, Bernardine sought the help of the London Employment Help Centre. Thanks to the expertise of the centre’s United Way funded Advocacy Program, Bernardine was able to cover her living expenses while caring for her husband during his illness.
“Without the support I received, I would never have been able to have the stability I have with my family now,” Bernardine says.
Evenually, she became eligible for an Employment Support Worker position at WIL Employment Connection. She applied and got the job. Bernardine’s confidence is back and Jerome is well and is working toward his English as a Second Language teaching certification.
“My new role has been a boost to my confidence and I call it my ‘real’ Canadian work experience,” Bernardine says. “I am a people person and I love helping others. I feel empowered. It’s been a bumpy road but my motto is stay focused, motivated and be persistent in your attempts. Canada has been great to us and I’m proud that now I can give back to my community as well.”
By Andrew Lockie, CEO, United Way of London & Middlesex
One of the pleasures of working at United Way has been the opportunity to get out and meet donors, community partners and the army of dedicated volunteers that make United Way such a tremendous organization. One of the topics I am often asked about is our new vision, mission and values.
Our vision, mission and values are the culmination of a year-long process of introspection by United Way staff and volunteers based on consultations with community members.
They mean many things to many people, but to me, they are primarily a call to action. The community, staff and volunteers clearly see United Way as an organization poised to lead and work toward community improvement in a deliberate way. It seems that the days of thinking of United Way solely as a funder of agencies are over. Now, United Way focuses on community impact, and funding agencies is the means to that end.
With this change in vision, mission and values comes the responsibility to change the way United Way operates. For instance, when we fundraise to support our priorities, we will carry a message of clarity about the specific kind of impact United Way is helping to make in the community.
When we allocate funds and communicate with agencies, it will be in a spirit of partnership and collaboration in addressing key priority areas. In addition to this, we will be working to help agencies align with each other to achieve positive impact in the community. It is very important that as we evolve, we ensure our funded agencies are able to make this transition with us smoothly and comfortably.
A key first step in this transition is our priority review. We have met with various leaders in the community, consulted with our agencies and donors and launched ThinkCommunity.ca which opens the conversation to the broad and diverse community that makes up London and Middlesex.
I hope you are as excited as I am for our United Way’s bright future. I invite and encourage you to share your thoughts with me as we progress in our journey toward a community where everyone matters.
Denise and Chuck Hounsell give their time and money to help people in their community
There are many ways to contribute to your community.
Chuck and Denise Hounsell decided to give both their time and money to help United Way.
“Everybody can do something,” says Chuck, a regional senior vice president with TD Canada Trust and United Way’s 2008 Campaign Chair. “My role at the bank put me in touch with my community,” says Chuck. “The role I have is to be a leader. I feel that extends beyond my job, so my contribution is leadership.”
“Chuck’s a master at inspiring and motivating others,” says Denise. She was inspired too. Denise worked behind the scenes, writing letters, making phone calls and more. “I wanted to help,” says Denise. “I asked myself, ‘What could I do?’ I knew I could do those things.”
Philanthropy and volunteering wasn’t something either grew up with but it’s something they’ve adopted and inspired in others, including their children.
Recently, their son helped build a home in New Orleans with Habitat for Humanity and their daughter donated her hair and raised funds to help people living with cancer.
“Our kids know they’re well off,” says Chuck. “They have good health, mentally and physically.”
“You can’t have those things,” adds Denise “and not do something to help.”
Simone Vojvodin completes the ThinkCommunity.ca survey online at Parkhill library
This fall, United Way is collecting “thought donations”.
The initiative, ThinkCommunity.ca, is a short survey to gather opinions about social issues and how well they are being addressed. The responses will be used to help:
United Way regularly reviews its priority areas but it has been several years since a broad consultation was done.
“We have regular conversations with member agencies and others in the social services sector,” says Andrew Lockie, United Way of London & Middlesex’s CEO, “but we wanted to reach beyond that. Social issues affect and matter to all people. We wanted to hear from people who are not normally asked to give their opinions.”
If you have not completed the survey, please do. Your opinion is important. Visit ThinkCommunity.ca or call 519-438-1721 to request a paper survey or to complete it over the phone. Paper surveys are available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
“Our community is a big place with many ideas and opinions,” says Lockie. “We want to be open to our whole community. Are we focusing on the right things to make the greatest difference possible? Times change. Priorities and organizations need to change too. We believe a community should help determine what that change is and how we’ll get there.”
GenNext committee members, Kate Graham, Rosanna Wilcox and Heather Faulkner at the launch event October 14 at Museum London
Would you rather... sell your body to pay for tuition or drop out and jeopardize your future? Stay in an impoverished country as a doctor or come to Canada to drive a cab? Do something or stay home?
These were the types of questions posed at the GenNext launch event, Would You Rather? held October 14. The event featured Marc Kielburger, co-founder of Free The Children and Me to We. 130 people attended and over half signed up for volunteer and educational opportunities.
GenNext is an initiate of United Way to engage people in their 20s and 30s. GenNext’s mission is to mobilize their generation to make a positive impact in their community though awareness, involvement and giving.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better launch event,” says Nawaz Tahir, chair of the GenNext advisory committee and partner at Lerners. “The energy in the room was uplifting and Marc’s message that any of us can make an impact with even the smallest act truly inspired me. I hope the GenNexters in our community now feel they have a charitable vehicle to call their own.”
With the launch event over, GenNext will focus its energy on developing philanthropy and volunteer opportunities, featuring projects that will challenge our community to learn, act and give back.
Learn more at GenNextuw.ca.
Thanks to the generosity of a local donor, the 2009 United Way Campaign just got a $100,000 boost.
The Leadership Challenge Grant will match, dollar for dollar, all new leadership gifts pledged on or after Monday, November 23, 2009. A Leadership gift is any donation of $1,000 or more.
“This year’s Campaign has its own set of challenges,” says Andrew Lockie, United Way’s CEO. “We hope the Leadership Challenge Grant will serve as motivation for those who are able to give at a leadership level to do so this year. It’s a perfect time - it’s essentially doubling your donation.”
Learn more, including ways to donate.
Caring Report is the newsletter of United Way of London & Middlesex. It is published twice a year and is distributed to our volunteers, donors and partners. If you have a question, suggestion or address correction, please contact us at:
United Way of London & Middlesex
409 King St, London, ON N6B 1S5
519-438-1721
uw@uwlondon.on.ca
November 2009
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