Campaign Shortfall a Cause for Concern

A message from United Way Kitchener-Waterloo and Area CEO, Jan Varner:

The final preparations for our Community Spirit Awards on February 29th are a little bittersweet. While we can't wait to honour the individuals and organizations that support us making a lasting difference in our community, we can't help but also worry about the shortfall in this year's campaign.

With $6 million as our overall revenue goal announced last September, we forecasted later last fall that only $4.9 million would be raised. Unfortunately, that is precisely where our total lies now.

We've had some rather significant commitments fall through from a few workplaces, and although many companies went above and beyond in achieving their campaign goals, it just hasn't been enough to fill the void.

I'm very grateful to our Campaign Chair, James Chmiel, who remains committed to helping us find more dollars. In a recent statement to the media, he encouraged those that can to dig even deeper and rally around our community. As he pointed out, even an increase to $5 million would make a tangible difference in meeting community needs.

We’re doing our best to keep our commitment to this community and hope to maintain the investments we made last year. As local demand for social services continues to rise, we are turning to you for further help.
 
It’s not too late to get involved and make a difference. Donations can be made online at uwaykw.org or by calling our office at 519-888-6100.
 
Thanks,

Jan