Changing Lives Through Local Love

At United Way, we work to ignite Local Love in the community we live in. 

Local love is a genuine feeling that everyone deserves a safe place to live, work and raise their family. Through simple acts, like smiling at a person on the street or making a financial donation, local love is spread throughout our community and can help tackle #UNIGNORABLE issues such as mental health, homelessness, hunger, social isolation, education inequality, domestic violence, unemployment and poverty. 

 

Since 1959 United Way of Saskatoon and Area has raised over $123 million and worked to help kids be all that they can be, move people from poverty to possibility and build strong communities by addressing systemic barriers for our city’s most vulnerable citizens. 

 

Our Impact Report highlights the acts of local love United Way was a part of in 2019. Through the support of volunteers, labour unions, partners, sponsors and donors, United Way can invest time, knowledge and resources into community programs and initiatives that help change lives.

“It is through acts of Local Love and the support of our donors, volunteers, and community partners that United Way is able to make long-lasting and impactful changes in Saskatoon. With generosity and the willingness to work together, we can build a community that includes and lifts everyone up.”

Sheri Benson, CEO, United Way of Saskatoon and Area

In 2019

Donors

From 475 fundraising workplaces and 50+ Labour unions raised over $4 Million and supported 10 community agencies and programs and 25 community partners, helping 1000’s of individuals improve their lives in our community. With the support of 3 loaned representatives, 378 employee campaign chairs, 15 cabinet members, and 31 impact speakers.

The work that we do wouldn’t be possible without our supporters and community partners:

Funded Agencies and Programs United Way Leadership Donors

All That Kids Can Be

Children need a good start in life to become healthy adults. They need access to early literacy and developmental programs; positive school experiences during the middle years and the support to graduate from high school. They benefit from recreational activities, mentorship, and opportunities to discover and develop their talents and interests.

United Way helps kids be all that they can be by focusing on a child’s preparation for kindergarten; achievement of grade-level reading and a confident journey toward independence.

Kiyari’s Story

Youth voices are often lost in larger conversations about change, but the fresh perspectives and imagination that youth have to offer can illuminate, innovate, and educate. Kiyari has worked to create a space specifically for youth voices, a passion project fueled by her own need to share about, connect over, and address directly issues of racism and inequality. Wāpahki, which means tomorrow, is a youth led talking circle hosted at Chokecherry Studios.

 Learn more

Summer Success Literacy Camps

Summer Success is a United Way initiative, in partnership with Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, that takes an upstream approach in helping vulnerable children move towards grade level reading by tackling their summer learning loss. Learn More When Jayce’s kids fell behind in reading the Summer Success program helped them improve their skills.

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From Poverty to Possibility

Every individual and family deserves to have their basic needs met. United Way is investing in programs and services that address the root causes of poverty, build the capacity and assets required to move individuals and families from poverty into sustainable, healthy lives

United Way moves people from poverty to possibility by ensuring basic human needs are met; individuals attain stable housing and families to have a safe place to call home.

Journey Home

Delivered by Saskatoon Mobile Crisis, Journey Home is the result of United Way’s vision – that everyone in our community deserves a safe place to call home.

In April 2018, a bi-annual Point-In-Time Homeless Count was conducted identifying chronically homeless individuals who have been homeless for six months or more and episodically homeless individuals who have experienced three or more episodes of homelessness in the past year. The count revealed that 475 individuals, including 11 children, were experiencing homelessness.

Since its inception in 2014, Journey Home has housed 99 of Saskatoon’s most chronically homeless individuals and reduced overall public service consumption by 58% among program residents, resulting in more than $820,425 in civic cost savings.

Other public service reduction includes a 74% drop in police detention time, a 58% reduction in ambulance rides, and a 91% drop in acute psychiatric day hospitalization.*

*Reduction stats based on 35 Journey Home participants who gave consent to have their information tracked and shared.

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Building Strong Communities

Inclusion and engagement help offset social isolation and strengthen the ability to integrate successfully into the community and workplace. When individuals and families can access the supports and services that build skills and confidence, they are better equipped to overcome life challenges.

United Way builds strong communities by supporting positive mental health initiatives; creating a barrier-free path to services and connecting people to their community.

Nich’s Story

Many LGBTQ2S+ people in our communities face discrimination and are pushed to the margins of society, relegated to spaces with little support or visibility. The Pride Home is an OUT Saskatoon program that provides housing, connection, support, and a community for LGBTQ2S+ youth. Nich is one such community member, a resident of the Pride Home.

 Learn more

Authentic Indigenous Engagement

Our community is strongest when everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Inclusion of the Indigenous community and respect for their culture, traditions and governance structures is a fundamental value of United Way of Saskatoon and Area.

Indigenous peoples continue to be over-represented in statistics related to homelessness, poverty, school readiness, and experiences of racism and discrimination. For our city to improve the quality of life for everyone, we need to ensure that community services are designed and delivered with our local people and priorities in mind. By authentically engaging the Indigenous community in decision making, United Way can become more responsive and effective towards achieving better outcomes in the areas of housing, employment, early years education, and health services. Visit our website for more details on our journey towards reconciliation.

 

100% of Indigenous youth participating in youth theatre programs demonstrated improved life skills through the development of confidence and cultural identity.

Support of Aboriginal children and youth through­­ recreational, social, and cultural after school

1,319 individuals participated in cultural programming, including Aboriginal language and traditional parenting classes.

Learn more about Wîcihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference.

A significant barrier for individuals and families to accessing the services they need is the complexity of finding the information they are looking for.

Whether it is finding assistance with basic needs such as food, shelter and employment, looking for support for an ageing parent, or trying to find childcare, navigating through information can be overwhelming, confusing and ultimately a roadblock to finding support.

211 Saskatchewan connects people to a database of over 5,000 community, government and non-emergency health services across the province. People can access this service by text, website and webchat, or phone. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year in over 175 languages, including 17 Indigenous languages available by phone.

2019 Service Usage Results

United Way in the Community

We are focused on igniting local love throughout our community which means we are actively involved with sharing stories on social media, organizing collection drives, fundraising, and hosting events that bring awareness to the often-ignored social issues facing our community. These acts of local love can have an immediate impact on so many lives.

Here are a few ways United Way has helped to share local love over the last year:

Collection Drives

Tampon Tuesday

2,000 packages of menstrual hygiene supplies collected and $5,000 raised!

Distributed to 7 communities including Allan, Vanscoy, Delisle and Warmen. 

Community Kick-off and Stuff the Bus Event

Filled 1 city transit bus full of hygiene supplies and distributed items to 5 local organizations.

Events

Pride Parade

Rock Your Roots and National Indigenous Peoples’ Day

YXE Connects

Wîcihitowin Aboriginal Engagement Conference

Orange Shirt Day

Social Media

Stories shared with over 900+ followers on Instagram,
2,200+ followers on Twitter and 1,700+ followers on Facebook.
Nicole Mulenga-Woo2020 Impact Report