About Us

The annual campaign was another success! Thank you to the efforts of the Campaign Cabinet and to thousands of volunteers. A special note of appreciation goes to Pat Murphy, 2017 Campaign Chair, for his high energy, enthusiasm and his reminder that #EveryDollarCounts.

Planned Giving is an area the Board and staff will be focusing on in the coming years, letting our supporters know how they can continue their tradition of giving. The United Way received our largest bequest from Mr. & Mrs. Scholes with a $1.5 million gift that was invested in our endowment fund. The Board made a decision that all income from the endowment fund will be invested in programs that support people moving from poverty to possibility.

Youth in our region face many challenges and research identified a high rate of homelessness, addictions and mental health. Our United Way has spent the last five years working on the issue of youth homelessness and we are beginning to see positive impact in this area. Today, there are fewer youth who are homeless in shelters, fewer youth homeless on the streets of downtown Kingston and more youth engaged and enrolled in programs delivered by our agencies. A full report can be found on our website at www.unitedwaykfla.ca/youth/.

This year, United Way staff, agency staff and local volunteers developed a new Community Investment Strategy that provides clarity around funding criteria and evaluation processes. This strategy articulates the Board’s focus on prevention and addressing root causes, while recognizing the continued need to support some programs that provide intervention and support.

As we look back on another successful year, we would like to thank the thousands of donors, volunteers and funded agencies who made this happen. Your support helps so many people in our community live with hope, dignity and a sense of belonging.

For this we thank you.