Your Impact in North Perth

Together we improve lives through support for basic needs, service connection, advocacy, research and cultivating innovative initiatives.

United Way Perth-Huron helps here in the community you care about. Thanks to United Way, its partners and donors, 975 vulnerable people in North Perth and area have the chance for a brighter future including…

• 175 people received counselling
• 163 people called 211 to connect with services
• 43 people in crisis accessed financial support
• 43 seniors accessed transportation
• 20 children matched with mentors
• 19 youth accessed housing and supports
• 12 youth received counselling

#UNIGNORABLE Local Issues

Lack of Housing: A single bedroom rental is over $1,200/mo. 171 people are experiencing homelessness in Stratford, St. Marys and Perth County.

 Low Income: 57% of people with incomes in Perth-Huron earn less than a living wage ($35,262 annually).

 Mental Health: By the time Canadians reach the age of 40, 1 in 2 have experienced a mental illness.

 Access to Services: Navigating the local social service network is challenging, especially for our most vulnerable.

 Intimate Partner Violence: In Perth County, the OPP received 940 calls related to intimate partner violence in 2021.

 Food Insecurity: 4,820 families in Perth County are food insecure. Food prices rose 7.4% in one year.

Holistic Approach

United Way is committed to cultivating innovative initiatives addressing root causes of local social issues. We research and advocate for a living wage, affordable housing and improved social assistance rates and services.

We also understand that long-term goals don’t solve the challenges of a person facing eviction next week, or the parent with empty cupboards and hungry children right now. To that end, we also fundraise and invest in programs to help ensure people get the immediate help they need.

Changing Local Lives

Thanks to United Way and a supported partner, Walt has the support he needs:

Walt needed a helping hand. Faced with eviction and a loss of services, he reached out to a connection centre in his community. Once there, he found a welcoming environment with staff and volunteers who were willing to to help. The housing stability worker negotiated with Walt’s landlord to allow him to temporarily stay in his home while other staff worked on finding alternate housing and supports.

Now, Walt is doing better thanks to United Way and a supported partner. He looks forward to finding a new place to live and continuing his journey out of homelessness.

HOPE Links Connection Centre

NOW OPEN IN LISTOWEL!

Partly as a result of rising housing costs, homelessness increased by 60% during the pandemic. In an effort to tackle this #UNIGNORABLE issue in North Perth, a drop-in space opened for those experiencing homelessness or otherwise vulnerable. 

The HOPE Links Connection Centre offers wrap-around supports including trauma-informed care, substance use and mental health counselling, as well as basic needs such as showers, laundry and food. Services are client-centred, providing dignity and choice with an unrelenting focus on securing permanent housing.

Community Renewal Company

The Community Renewal Company initial focus is developing and operating affordable rental supply, supportive housing options and innovation in social service access and delivery, including community hubs. Chief among the projects in the pipeline is the Listowel Access Centre (LAC). Components under consideration for the LAC include a new library retaining the Carnegie section of the building, a community hub for social services and 40 rental apartment units. The CRC will also play a critical role in the community development ecosystem, supporting and building relationships between non-profit service providers and their supporters and advocates

Urgent Needs Fund

43 local residents accessed assistance  

The Urgent Needs Fund is designed to support local residents in a time of crisis with funds for essentials such as rent, groceries, car repairs, medication and child care. United Way is also working for long-term change, lifting people beyond poverty while still ensuring their immediate, basic needs are met:

“All my life I’ve dealt with chronic illness and thanks to the added stress of COVID-19, I kept getting worse. It got so bad my doctor told me I needed to stop my job and try to get healthy again.

“My husband kept working, but it’s tough on our family coping with the pandemic and having only one income. Our budget got tighter each month and our savings quickly disappeared. Then our daughter got sick and needed medication that wasn’t covered by my husband’s employer. With bills coming due, we didn’t know where to turn.

“Luckily, I found out about United Way’s Urgent Needs Fund. I applied and we got enough money to cover the pharmacy bill.”

North Perth Community Committee

–>United Way Perth-Huron Manager Community Development, North Perth: Kelly Henderson

Changing Local Lives

Thanks to United Way and a supported partner, Joe has the support he needs:

13-year-old Joe recently lost his father and his mother is very sick. Living in a smaller community has meant that there have been limited resources for him to find a male role model to help him grow into young adulthood and build his sense of connection.

Thanks to United Way and a supported partner, Joe was matched with a short-term mentor who was able to connect with him over their time spent getting to know each other. This was an incredible support for Joe and his family during a difficult time and it helped ensure he has positive support and a place to escape the challenges of his current reality at home.

North Perth Rack Card

Supported Partners

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