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By Jeff Henson
UNITED WAY

Local United Way sets 2022 campaign goal

Oct 20, 2022 | 2:01 PM

United Way Alberta Northwest launched its annual fall campaign Thursday morning, with a goal of affecting 15,000 lives locally this year.

Executive Director Tracy Zuk says they have calculated that approximately $30 impacts a single life.

She adds they are hoping for more individual and business donations this year.

“People are back in their offices or back out of their homes, not necessarily working so much from their homes anymore. So everyone is becoming anxious to do things together again, to come together to make a difference. We have certainly been talking to more people now that we have not been able to talk to for a couple of years. So we have been able to go into their places of business and have conversations and have presentations.”

Zuk says the need for support this year has increased substantially.

“Everybody is still struggling from COVID, unfortunately, but it is not just that. It is like we were hit with a double whammy, with the cost of everything increasing. Right now, food security is such an issue. The increase even in just our food bank is unimaginable. So the need is absolutely there, probably more than ever.”

Last year, the local agency was able to allocate close to 146-thousand dollars thanks to their 2021 campaign, which impacted over 46 hundred lives.

Zuk says money will be allocated in the spring of 2023 to charities that focus on any of the United Way’s three main pillars of support.

“We like to focus on kids being all that they can be. We also like to focus on healthy communities, and also focus on reducing poverty. So really, we can have an effect on every charity because really most of these usually stem from some type of need.”

Besides individual donations and fundraising campaigns put on by local businesses, the Red Menu program has returned this year.

Five local restaurants – Harvey’s, Mr. Mikes, Monica’s, Calibria Deli and Bistro, and Matthatters – will offer proceeds from a portion of their menu directly to the United Way campaign.

by Jeff Henson