The United Way of Southern Vancouver Island has set a $5-million goal for its 2023 fundraising campaign, and chair Darlene Hollstein isn’t worried about reaching the finish line.
“I know we’ll meet this target because we’re working on an incredible, long-standing foundation of selfless giving in this community,” said Hollstein, general manager of the Bay Centre. “You’ve united with us in the past and I know you’ll unite with us again this year.”
She told a crowd gathered in Centennial Square Thursday for the campaign kickoff that the United Way “plays a central, co-ordinating role” in helping those who need it most in the community, with a focus on seniors, families and people dealing with mental-health issues and addiction.
Last year, the 86-year-old organization raised $4.1 million and supported close to 63,000 people on the south Island — about one in six.
The 2023 campaign comes as food prices continue to hit record highs and rents are climbing, making it hard for some people to simply get by, Hollstein said.
Demand for food banks in the region jumped by an “astonishing” 20 per cent from September to December last year, she said. “That’s huge. For young families, these cumulative, mounting pressures are especially daunting.”
Hollstein said the group has distributed funds this year to 63 community agencies and 77 programs, and funded five youth-related grants.
She told the story of one of the groups it has helped — the Young Parent Outreach Program at the Cridge Centre for the Family.
A staff member from the outreach program showed a 19-year-old single parent who had moved out of a supported-living facility how to secure housing and set a budget, and guided her through the process of getting daycare for her daughter and arranging a return to school.
Mother and daughter are now “thriving,” Hollstein said, adding many more like them are out there in need of the same kind of advice and support.
Diana Gibson, executive director of the Community Social Planning Council, said at the kickoff event that she is a big United Way backer, and praised it for working with her group to create the Greater Victoria Rent Bank in 2020 — helping to prevent eviction for households where people were having difficulty in paying their bills.
“That’s the United Way’s involvement, as a catalyst and as a community builder.”
Long-time United Way supporters Dick and Linda Auchinleck and Beverley King have stepped up with a pledge to match all leadership donations ($1,200 or more) through Oct. 31, up to a total of $100,000.
As well, the public can contribute to the campaign by purchasing tickets for the Community Campaign Raffle until Oct. 13, with a grand-prize package that features tickets anywhere WestJet flies, a hotel voucher, a Flytographer photo-shoot voucher and luggage from the Bay Centre.
Tickets are available at https://uwsvi.ca/ starting Friday.
Donations can also be made at the site, and through individual workplace campaigns.
Campaign kickoff supporters included the City of Victoria, the Victoria Labour Council and B.C. Transit.
