Your Impact in Northern Huron

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, vulnerable people in Northern Huron (including North Huron, Howick and Morris-Turnberry) have the chance for a brighter future including…

• 83 people called 211 to connect with services
• 12 participants in Poverty 2 Prosperity
• 16 people in crisis accessed financial support
• 53 unique individuals accessed the Northern Huron Connection Centre 
• 59 crisis calls made to the Huron Women’s Shelter
• 2 youth accessed housing and supports

#UNIGNORABLE Local Issues

Lack of Housing: A single bedroom rental is over $1,200/mo. 103 people are experiencing homelessness in Huron County.

 Low Income: About half of people with incomes in Perth-Huron earn less than a living wage ($41,405 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 Huron County, police received 423 calls related to intimate partner violence in 2022.

 Food Insecurity: 1 in 6 Canadian children live in a food insecure household.

 Discrimination: 69% of immigrants and visible minorities and 80% of Indigenous people in Perth-Huron reported experiencing discrimination.

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, Delia has the support she needs:

“My husband and I recently separated and I lost my job. I was able to find another, but it’s not full-time and I’m not earning what I did before. A friend of mine told me about this program and how much it helped her family. I hated asking for help, but I didn’t want my daughter to go without her summer camp.

“When I contacted the program and found out I was eligible, I was so happy I cried. The people who helped me were so understanding. I was able to send my daughter to camp this past summer and her joy melted my heart.

“I am still not working full-time and might have to use this program again, but I won’t hesitate to reach out for the help I know is there for my family if I need it.”

Northern Huron Connection Centre (operated by CMHA Huron Perth)

Partly as a result of rising housing costs, homelessness is growing. In an effort to tackle this #UNIGNORABLE issue in Northern Huron, a drop-in space for those experiencing homelessness or otherwise vulnerable is opening soon in Wingham.

The Northern Huron Connection Centre — serving Howick, North Huron and Morris-Turnberry — is a welcoming, safe space for the community’s most vulnerable citizens to rest, access basic needs, healthcare services, identification assistance and more. Partnerships with agencies — including CMHA Huron Perth, the organization operating the Centre — mean those using the Connection Centre can access important services and supports under one roof.

The Northern Huron Connection Centre:

1. Meets basic needs. A place to use a washroom and shower. Have a cup of coffee with access to clean water, and/or an indoor space out of the cold or heat.
2. Builds social ties. Build trust with service providers and volunteers, leading to opportunities for more formal supports.
3. Connects participants to social services. Volunteers and staff can help clients navigate entry into formal support with existing agencies.
4. Builds pathways out of poverty that provide dignity and choice, empowering clients.

United Housing

United Housing is Perth-Huron’s first non-profit housing organization dedicated to developing, building, and managing mixed use rental housing in the community. The initiative’s goal is to support and build on existing work being done by the City of Stratford and the County of Huron, further increasing the amount of available housing stock. It’s a local solution to the very real issue of housing affordability we face across the region. GO HERE for more information.

Urgent Needs Fund

16 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 if something like this were to happen:

It was only Cassie and her two children. Cassie worked part-time but got a lot of hours, so she was just able to cover her family’s expenses. Cassie knew she should have a financial buffer, but everything she earned went to the necessities.

One morning Cassie felt a dull throbbing in her jaw that slowly increased to a blinding pain. She was able to get off work early, but Cassie knew she was going to miss three hours pay. The bigger dilemma was money for a dentist; she didn’t have any and couldn’t afford to keep missing work. Cassie burst into tears. She wasn’t sure where to turn for help until she heard about the Urgent Needs Fund.

Changing Local Lives

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

Clarice was struggling to get her life back on track when she arrived at the local Connection Centre. With each visit, the caring staff built a relationship with her and she shared her story. Clarice revealed she was struggling with an abusive partner and wasn’t sure where to turn. Staff put her in touch with the services she needed to help find a place to live, a job and mental health supports.

Now, Clarice is doing better. She continues working on improving her mental health and has her own apartment. Clarice is giving back too! She volunteers at the Connection Centre, helping sustain the sense of caring and community she felt from the first moment she arrived.

Thanks to a United Way supported program, Petra found the supports she and her family need:

Petra phoned 211 looking for in-home supports for her stepfather, who was diagnosed with stage four cancer. The family had a support worker coming into the home but needed additional support. During the conversation, the Community Navigator discovered the woman’s mother was struggling with the burden of caregiving and needed mental health support. By the end of the call, the Navigator was able to connect them to resources for both in-home supports and caregiver support for the woman’s parents. “I love when I can uncover additional problems people might not realize are there,” says Lisanne, the Navigator who answered the call. “Sometimes it’s a much bigger issue, and addressing that can help resolve other concerns.”

Northern Huron Community Committee

–> United Way Perth-Huron Manager Community Development, Northern Huron: Lisa Harper

Supported Partners

Want to read more?

Northern Huron Trifold Pamplet (PDF)