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United we can mobilize people, organizations and resources to focus on strategies that address root causes for issues our community has identified as priorities for United Way:
poverty, mental health and beginnings & transitions.
Volunteer driven Impact Councils provide oversight to the development and implementation of strategies and outcomes in the three impact areas. For their respective impact area, each Council defines, advises and engages in the following activities as outlined in United Way’s community
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impact framework:
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investment
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research
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advocacy
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community development
In order to create lasting change in community conditions, Impact Councils will establish specific and measurable outcomes that may be achieved both by United Way and by funded agencies through the identification and execution of strategies in each area of focus.
Poverty
change starts when we support urgent needs and promote independence and long-term financial stability.
Why focus on poverty?
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One in five children in London lives in poverty (Vital Signs)
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Poverty has a cost for every household in Ontario. In real terms, poverty costs every household in the province at least $2,300 every year (Ontario Association of Foodbanks)
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As of July 2011, London Census Metropolitan Area’s unemployment rate of 9.1% was Canada’s highest for big cities (Statistics Canada)
Thank you to our volunteers!
Lina Bowden - Chair
Anne-Marie Fischer
Rick Hoevenaars - Vice Chair
Stephanie Joselyn-Fogarty
Wendy Leslie
Mojdeh Rahbari Cox
Mike Warnock
Gary West
Joe Wilson
Mental health
Change starts with healing, resilience and recovery for individuals living with mental health issues.
Why focus on mental health?
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One in five of us will experience a personal mental health issue during our lifetime (Canadian Mental Health Association)
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90% of people who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental illness (Canadian Mood Disorders Society)
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The cost of supporting someone with serious mental illness to live in the community: $34,418 per year; the cost of keeping someone with serious mental illness in the hospital: $170,820 per year (Canadian Mood Disorders Society)
Thank you to our volunteers!
Liz Beaujot
Lorna Bulgin
Barrie Evans
Cheryl Forchuk
Jennifer Francis
Janet Grantham - Chair
Michael Herbert
Reid MacKay - Vice Chair
Maria McFadden
Beth Mitchell
Beth Powell
Shannon U’Ren
Beginnings & transitions
Change starts when we help children to reach their full potential, empower individuals and families to overcome tough times and enable immigrants to engage, contribute and thrive.
Why focus on beginnings & transitions?
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One in four children entering the school system is not ready to learn (Vital Signs)
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The best time to learn literacy skills is in early childhood. The rate of return from good quality investments in early childhood development can be $8 for every dollar invested. (Canadian Language & Literacy Network)
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One in five Londoners is an immigrant (Statistics Canada)
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In Ontario, the unemployment rate of internationally educated professionals is over three times as high as that of other Ontarians (Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities)
Thank you to our volunteers!
Melissa Aveiro
Matt Bazely
David Blackwell
Neil Bradford
Karen Dalton
Glenn Howlett - Vice Chair
Loraine Kelly - Chair
Dwayne Martins
Peter Polischuk
Donna Thacker
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