The United Way Bruce Grey is wrapping up a successful year with big hopes for 2020.
They handed out over 2,300 backpacks and helped over 600 families with utilities in 2019.
Francesca Dobbyn, the Executive Director for United Way Bruce Grey says that releasing the living wage earlier in the year sparked important conversations in the community around wage and poverty.
Dobbyn says the biggest hurdle of 2019 was keeping up with fundraising demands.
She mentions there is a two-month waiting list for the United Way's Mattress Program.
Dobbyn did say one of the proudest this year was the community response to PRIDE.
“We had a wonderful grant from the Community Foundation do to the PRIDE flags,” Dobbyn reflects, “everybody just really got behind that inclusiveness.”
She also foreshadowed upcoming community initiatives in 2020 by announcing a new fundraising program called My 2020 which Dobbyn says will be detailed in the New Year.
United Way has however issued a year-end appeal for donations.
In the email from Dobbyn, she says the organization is still seeking around $20,000 in donations.
These funds will have to come from their general revenue which could have an impact on 2020 programing.
United Way attributes this needed funding to the rising cost and demand of programs like the backpack initiative.
They say that they have seen a 24% increase for the requests for high school backpacks in just three years.
Donations can be made online, over the phone or at their office.
They say that all donations dated for December 31st 2019 can be receipted in the 2019 year.