A Challenge from our Campaign Chair, James Chmiel



James Chmiel

Everyday, United Way KW has an enormous impact on our community, ensuring an essential network of programs and services that work together to achieve lasting, positive change.
 
It has been a humbling honour to serve as the 2011 United Way KW Campaign Chair and to assist United Way KW with their efforts.
 
Our campaign, like our community, has faced tough times. We have not reached the $6 million goal we set for ourselves last September, or more importantly, that we felt this community needed.

Make no mistake about it, the $4.9 million we have raised to date is a truly impressive demonstration of generosity and caring at a time like this.

I’m not willing to stop there, however, because I know we can do better. At the United Way KW Community Spirit Awards on February 29th, I reaffirmed to attendees my commitment to building upon the $4.9 million we’ve raised to date.

United Way KW CEO Jan Varner then challenged attendees to reaffirm their commitment as well by donating an extra $29, $290 – whatever amount they were able – to support not only our campaign but also the 29Leaps Movement created by local teenager Madi MacIntyre.

It is this same challenge that I now issue to all of you.

When I visited Madi’s web site on February 28th, about 159,000 leap acts had been counted. When I visited again two days later, on March 1, that number had climbed to over 240,000.

Please, get involved, spread the message, and make Madi’s total - and the United Way KW campaign total - climb even higher.

After all, when our community is strong, supported, and resilient, we all benefit.

Thank you.

James Chmiel
President, Erb and Erb Insurance Brokers Ltd.
2011 United Way KW Campaign Chair

Community Spirit Award Winners and the 29Leaps Movement

Congratulations to our Community Spirit Awards winners, who were honoured on February 29th at a breakfast reception sponsored by our host, the Waterloo Inn.

Special thanks to Manulife Financial and Lagrotta Packaging Group for sponsoring individual awards, and to Susan Cranston from Manulife Financial, our Leadership Chair, for speaking about the tremendous difference made in our community by Leadership Donors - those who annually donate $1000 or more to United Way KW.

The significance of February 29th, or Leap Day, was certainly not lost on attendees, and we were thrilled to have among them 17 year old Madi MacIntyre, the local resident whose 29Leaps Movement has gone viral, encouraging people to make Leap Day something for ALL to celebrate by using the number 29 to spread caring and kindness. Madi came up with her idea after realizing that the extra day in a leap year is great for many of us, but not always so for the sick, homeless, lonely or hurting in our community.

At the Community Spirit Awards, we encouraged people to donate an extra $29, $290, or whatever they could afford to honour Madi's 29Leaps Movement and help make up for the current shortfall in our annual campaign. Our $6 million revenue challenge goal has currently brought in about $4.9 million. Our Campaign Chair, James Chmiel, remains committed to helping us close that gap. Both he and Madi MacIntyre are great role models in showing what one person can do to motivate others and make our community a better place.

Congratulations Madi and James, and congratulations again to all of our Community Spirit Award winners!

Change starts here.

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

2011 United Way KW Leadership Donors

People who care, share and lead by example. That's what United Way KW Leadership Donors – those who annually donate $1,000 or more - are all about. These kind and compassionate individuals provide critical investment into the health and well-being of our community.

On February 18, 2012, United Way KW will be honouring its 2011 Leadership Donors in the Waterloo Region Record. We’ll also be extending special thanks to our Leadership Sponsor, Manulife Financial, an organization that exemplifies corporate citizenship at work in our community.

We encourage you to review the current list of 2011 Leadership Donors available online at http://www.uwaykw.org/. If you anticipate seeing your name but can’t find it, please contact Barb Binkle at bbinkle@uwaykw.org or 519-888-6100 ext. 225 by February 10th 2012.

If your name is not present, it may be that we have not received your name from your workplace. Your name also may not appear if at some point in the past you’ve indicated a preference not to have your gift publicly acknowledged. In this case, you will be listed as “anonymous”.

We at United Way KW would like to offer a warm and sincere thank you to all 2011 donors, especially our Leadership Donors. We truly couldn’t do it without you. Change starts here.

PLEASE NOTE: Taking into account current economic restraints, and at the suggestion of many of our leadership donors, our Annual Leadership Thank You Event will not take place this year.

SAVE THE DATE: Community Spirit Awards - February 29, 2012

Our 3rd Annual Community Spirit Awards event is fast approaching. Be sure to mark your calendar now and join us for breakfast.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARDS
FEBRUARY 29, 2012
7:30 a.m.
Waterloo Inn

Join us as we celebrate and acknowledge those individuals and organizations that exemplify year round efforts to bring about long term, sustainable social change in our community.

For more details, please visit the United Way KW web site.

Did you get SNAP'd at our Celebrity Event?

Did you get SNAP'd at our Annual Celebrity event honouring Lisa LaFlamme on November 25th, 2011 at Federation Hall?
Click here to find out!

Ski Down At Chicopee - Wednesdays from Jan. 11 - Feb. 1, 2012

Attention All Skiers!

Start the New Year off right by becoming a Community Hero! Simply hit the slopes this winter with Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort and United Way. It's a win-win situation! You enjoy a discounted rate on a full day lift ticket, while $5 from each ticket purchased goes to United Way to support community needs.