Community Investments

Part of the investment that donors make in United Way helps us support over 40 partners and programs, including United Way-led initiatives, helping us address the effects of poverty on individuals and families across our region. Thanks to our partners and donors, we helped ensure vulnerable local people had access to the resources they needed in the places they live, building a better system of care for all.  

Your Impact

425

Families and individuals helped in crisis via the Urgent Need Fund

1,422

people used 2-1-1 and were provided with referrals to local social services

1,378

people struggling with mental health or addiction challenges accessed counselling

1,467

visits to accesse affordable, nutritious food at the NOURISH Market in St.Marys

13

men gained shelter and wrap around supports at a supported transitional home

46

children who witnessed domestic violence received counselling

94

men received counselling, advocacy and reintegration planning after incarceration

163

new comers accessed service for assistance to navigate the social sector

706

were connected with services at the United Centre Hub

48

children were matched for one-to-one mentorship to promote well-being

75

at-risk youth received shelter placement and a fresh start

152

low income families participated in food skills programming

53

families who experienced violence were provided with shelter and wrap around support

616

families supported with financial assistance for extracurricular activities

5,000+

people accessed a food bank agency supplied by the Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre

79

youth accessed a safe and inclusive space to build positive relationships and encourage development

Supported Partners and Programs

Big Brothers Big Sisters Listowel and Big Brothers Big Sisters South Huron    

One-to-One Traditional Mentoring Program:
Provided children with direct mentorship from an adult volunteer with a focus on providing a strong, safe, and supportive environment. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters North Huron

In-School Mentoring:
Provided children and youth with an in-school mentor to help them develop positive social relationships. 

CMHA Huron Perth

Food Insecurity Initiative:
Provided hot meal cards to vulnerable people to help promote food security and connection to community. 

Community Table

The Next Journey: 
Piloted transportation project for Southern Huron for low-income individuals. 

Emily Murphy Centre

Child Witness Program: 
Supported children who witnessed or experienced violence with counselling to improve mental health and well-being.

Family Services Perth-Huron 

Individual, Family, and Seniors Counselling:
Provided individual, couple, family, and group counselling and social service supports for individuals and families, including seniors and those living with a developmental delay. 

Youth Counselling, Supports, and Mentoring Program:
Provided counselling tailored to fill the needs of youth and their families seeking immediate therapy for mild/moderate conditions. 

Building Resiliency with Developmental Services Clients:
Provided social work supports to those in the developmental sector and their families and/or caregivers/supports in an effort to build stronger communities for individuals and their families. 

Huron County

Huron Homelessness Strategy, Emergency Shelter/Housing Stability:
Provided shelter during winter months to those experiencing homelessness and helped break down barriers to housing by supporting empowering individuals in resolving their own housing instability. 

Huron Food Bank Distribution Centre 

Neighbours Helping Neighbours: 
Provided nutritious foods to various food agencies and programs. 

Hygiene Health 4 Seniors: 
Provided hygiene products to vulnerable seniors so they can take part in the life of their community. 

Huron Perth Public Health 

Destination Prosperity/Poverty 2 Prosperity:
Mobilized women in rural communities to develop and lead community betterment activities, and to partner with service providers to improve access to services 

Kaswentha/Two Row Now – Indigenous-led Community Building in Perth-Huron:
Planned and implemented Indigenous-led cultural awareness and social connectedness events/activities for Indigenous children, youth, families, and community members. 

Huron Perth Children’s Aid Society

Rapid Response Fund: 
Provided counselling/supports to stabilize children and youth in crisis and enabled them to return to a level of functioning where they can be appropriately supported by current community-based services. 

Huron Safe Homes For Youth

Extended Care: 
Provided intensive, longer-term support services to young people who have limited or absent parental/natural supports.

Huron Turning Point

Transitional Housing for Men: 
Provided transitional housing for men in Huron County. 

Huron Women’s Shelter

Emergency Shelter Support Services: 
Provided emergency shelter and support services to women and children who experienced gender-based violence.

John Howard Society 

Institutional Visiting and Reintegration Support Program: 
Provided counselling, advocacy, and reintegration planning to persons who were incarcerated to ensure positive reintegration into their communities upon release. 

HOPE Kits: 
Provided basic need kits to individuals upon their release with essentials to help ease their transition back into the community. 

Local Community Food Centre 

Food Skills Initiatives: 
Provided hands on opportunities for people to learn and practice skills to create healthy meals while also providing immediate access to healthy meals. 

St. Marys Nourish Equal Access Food Market:
Addressed food insecurity by offering local, fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats at affordable prices to local residents.  

Municipality of Huron East

Vanastra Access Centre: 
Provided space for service providers and community members in Vanastra to reduce transportation barriers.  

Rural Response for Healthy Children

What Happened to You? Book Study: 
Parents and professionals attended sessions on the book, “What Happened to You?” and learned more about trauma experiences. 

Shelterlink Youth Services 

Living Options for Youth:
Provided low barrier, housing focused shelter and supports to vulnerable youth experiencing homelessness. 

Emerging Needs – Early Intervention Models: 
Researched and developed prevention and early-intervention models for servicing youth. 

Stratford Pride Community Centre 

Ensured the local 2SLGBTQ+ community had access to a welcoming, safe, and inclusive space and offered education to the broader community. 

Town of St. Marys 

Community Outreach Worker:
Offered facilitation, education, and referrals for residents needing support including life skills, mental health, homelessness, and addictions, along with providing short-term support and help connecting community members to important services, and delivering community education and outreach, including neighbourhood mediation.

St. Marys Youth Centre:
Provided children and youth with a safe and accessible space to develop positive social relationships with peers.  

YMCA of Three Rivers 

Finding Your Way – Newcomer Journey Funding:
Supported newcomers with their settlement, to improve well-being and sense of connection to their communities. 

Membership Assistance: 
Ensured low-income community members could access YMCA programs and services to improve their well-being. 

YMCA Southwestern Ontario (Goderich) 

Goderich Youth Collective:
Provided a youth leadership opportunity including developing healthy living learning new skills, discovering community resources, and making new friends in a safe and welcoming environment. 

Huron County Youth Recreation and Sports Program:
Ensured children and youth in low-income households had access to recreation and sports programs. 

United Way Perth-Huron (Internal Programs & Services)

211 Hotline & Website:
Database of all available social services. Using just a postal code, 211 Navigators can find specific local programs and services to address a caller’s life challenges. Records of social services are updated annually. 

Living Wage:
Advocate for local employers to pay a living wage to provide workers and their family with a better way of life, improve morale, reduce staff turnover and build a more vibrant and healthy community. 

Northern Huron Connection Centre (operated by CMHA Huron Perth):
Serving Howick, North Huron and Morris-Turnberry, and located in Wingham at St. Paul’s-Trinity Anglican Church, the Centre is a safe place for vulnerable people to connect with supports while accessing basic needs. 

Southern Huron Connection Centre (operated by The Community Table):
Located at the Exeter Pentecostal Church, the Centre is a welcoming place for vulnerable people to connect and build relationships, access services, as well as basic needs. 

Stratford Connection Centre (operated by CMHA Huron Perth):
Located at St. James Anglican Church in downtown Stratford, the Centre offers basic needs, connection to services, and helps build community for vulnerable people who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Also includes community outreach to individuals living rough. 

United Centre:
Owned by United Way, the United Centre serves as our head office, along with providing office space to five non-profit tenants serving the community. 

Urgent Needs Fund:
Helping local individuals and families in a time of crisis with financial support for essentials including, but not limited to, rent arrears, groceries, emergency car repairs, and help with utility bills. 

Youth in Action Grants:
Supporting youth-led projects that positively benefit the participants’ communities and peers.