The United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin is looking to tackle multiple community issues, including stopping food insecurity, during its 2020 United Way Campaign.
On Tuesday, the United Way broadcasted a livestream of their campaign launch from The Seed warehouse space, discussing homelessness, mental health, social isolation and food insecurity affecting residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When speaking about food insecurity, The United Way spoke says they have donated $70,000 to The Seed's Emergency Food Home Delivery program, working to provide 100,000 food boxes for families in Guelph. According to the organization, boxes have been organized and distributed from the Wood Development Group's warehouse since April, and will continue to be delivered until October.
There is no traditional dollar goal for this year's campaign.
“The past six months have stretched our social services sector to its limits,” says Jeff DeRuyter, the 2020 Campaign Chair, “Vulnerable individuals like seniors, children and families found themselves needing additional supports – or some found themselves navigating support for the first time.”
“And despite the challenges, our community has responded in an incredible way. Frontline agencies have worked overtime to ensure services are there and doors remain open.”
In Canada, 13 to 14 per cent of residents don’t have access to good food. Within Guelph, that number is slightly higher, says Gavin Dandy, the managing director of The Seed.
Dandy says the emergency food program is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to solving food insecurity in Guelph, but this pandemic is an opportunity to equip the warehouse for future disasters, long after the pandemic is gone.
“We’re not going to stop until we have a strategy that can be implemented,” says Dandy.
Besides announcing their goal, the United Way also made a call out to residents to help support one of 50 organizations and 72 programs involved in the campaign, by donating to the United Way.
Mayor Cam Guthrie also encouraged residents to ‘blow past the goal of the campaign’ when speaking during the event.
“You never know [who needs help]. It could be your neighbour...your co-worker...or yourself,” says Guthrie.
To learn more about the campaign, go to unitedwayguelph.com.