Your Impact in Southern 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 Southern Huron have the chance for a brighter future including…

• 9,895 total visits made to the Southern Huron Connection Centre
• 802 visits to local youth hub
• 217 contacts made by people for support accessing services
• 38 children got financial help to participate in extracurriculars
• 15 payments to households to support access to basic needs
• 12 locations across Southern Huron received nutritious food deliveries
• 8 young people received housing stability support
• 3 women and children stayed in emergency shelter

Pressing Local Issues

Housing Security: 151 households are experiencing homelessness in Huron County.

 Poverty Reduction: 19.8% of households in Huron-Perth experience food insecurity.

 Mental Health & Well-Being: 1 in 3 Canadians will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime.

 Access to Services: Small communities in Huron-Perth have limited access to social and health services.

 Healthy Relationships: 1,372 IPV crisis calls received by shelter services in Huron.

 Equity Supports: 69% of immigrants and visible minorities and 81% of Indigenous people in 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, Elliot has the support he needs:

For two years, Elliot didn’t have a place to call home.

Day after day, he navigated uncertainty—finding somewhere to sleep, staying safe and managing the barriers that come with chronic homelessness. Throughout those long months, he found out about the Southern Huron Connection Centre and started visiting regularly.

Progress didn’t happen overnight. It rarely does. It took time, persistence, and a coordinated effort to walk alongside Elliot through complex challenges—removing barriers, one by one.

Then, in February, everything changed.

Through the collaborative work of five community partners, Elliot was housed. It was a turning point that unlocked bright possibilities for the future.

Today, Elliot is settling into his new home. He has found part-time employment. He is building routines, stability, and a renewed sense of independence. Just as importantly, he has stayed connected to the Connection Centre—maintaining the relationships that supported him every step of the way.

Southern Huron Connection Centre

United Way’s Southern Huron Connection Centre is a welcoming place offering basic needs such as light meals, a shower, washroom and laundry facilities. Partnerships with numerous agencies offering support to local people in need mean those using the centre can access important services and supports under one roof.

Over the next three years, a community garden, collective kitchen programs and early years programming will be added, breaking down barriers and developing relationships between community members.

• 595 unique individuals accessed services last year
• 9,895 total visits to the Southern Huron Connection Centre

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 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

15 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 in case something like this were to happen:

Alice lived with her granddaughter in a small apartment. Her modest income was just enough to keep them housed, fed and clothed. Then the letter came telling her the building was being sold and she had four weeks to move.

A million thoughts went through Alice’s head; finding an affordable new place, the cost of moving, the deposits—all unexpected and unwelcome expenses when she was just getting by. Alice wasn’t sure where to turn for help until she heard about the Urgent Needs Fund. 

United Way Southern Huron Community Committee

–> United Way Perth-Huron Contact: David Mackechnie

Changing Local Lives

Connie did everything she could to keep life normal for her two young children. In public, she was a devoted mother focused on school schedules, meals and daily routines. Behind closed doors, however, she was carrying a much heavier burden. As she worked to protect her family from the impacts of intimate partner violence, Connie faced ongoing safety concerns, difficult legal challenges and the constant fear that tomorrow might bring another crisis. The weight of keeping her children safe while holding life together often felt overwhelming.

When Connie reached out for help, a United Way supported partner was a lifeline. Through emergency shelter and more, she found support, guidance and a path forward. Step by step, Connie began rebuilding a sense of safety and stability for herself and her children. Today, she faces the future with greater confidence, knowing that she does not have to navigate these challenges alone and that a caring community stands beside her.

Supported Partners serving Southern Huron residents:

Want to read more?

Huron County Impact Brochure (PDF)