Tackling the tough problems, TOGETHER. Since the beginning of the pandemic, United Way Centraide North East Ontario/Nord-est de l’Ontario (UWCNEO) has been working closely with local experts, partners and supporters from across the region to mobilize action and deploy rapid response emergency grants to frontline service providers.

COVID-19 has impacted all of us, but there is no doubt the pandemic has disproportionately affected our communities’ most vulnerable citizens, pushing them further into the margins. In an instant, programs and services that so many people relied on were no longer available. Our partners in the social sector, already stretched to their limits, struggled to keep up with the increased demand for food, hygiene items, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Before COVID-19, our communities were already facing serious problems:

• Nearly 21,000 people in the City of Greater Sudbury live in poverty.

• 1 in 7 households in the Nipissing and Parry Sound District are food insecure.

• 1,782 people are homeless in the Cochrane District.

6,800+ 1,520 100%people impacted

litres of hand sanitizer donated

of your donations stayed local/regional

PROGRESS REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2020

02 IMPACT SNAPSHOT 03 LOCAL LOVE IN ACTION 04 MEETING BASIC NEEDS

With the generosity and support of donors, UWCNEO has invested over $275,000 to date in rapid response funding to charities that are addressing

basic needs. The work is far from over, but UWCNEO will continue to tackle the tough problems, mobilize resources, collaborate, and work in partnership to find local solutions.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE FUND

On March 25, 2020, UWCNEO launched the Local Love in a Global Crisis Community Response Fund (CRF) to help ensure that rapid response emergency grants were available to charitable organizations providing life’s essentials to people profoundly impacted by COVID-19.

From food-based programs to essential supplies and PPE, your donation made a difference.

Through the uncertainty and struggles, we united to find solutions, and keep people connected.

Together, we can get our communities through this crisis.

Free Food Share Giveaway

A transport trailer filled with vegetables, cheese, milk, meat, and an assortment of pantry staples helped families in Kapuskasing through this challenging time. CRF helped cover transportation costs to get the food from Manitoulin Island to Kapuskasing.

135 families accessed formula through the infant

food bank.

20 brand new car seats were provided to families

experiencing financial hardship.

Many of the women who access services at VOICES for Women are marginalized, isolated. Community supports are essential to help manage day to day needs while coping with the effects of abuse.

At the start of the pandemic, PPE was hard to obtain locally, sources to address food security were limited and financial supports were delayed. VOICES for Women utilized the funding they received through CRF to purchase grocery cards for clients as well as create PPE bags with sanitizer, gloves, masks and cleaning supplies.

Food security through hot meals, gift card programs, food hampers, care packages, and support for local food banks

Essential items including hygiene products, baby diapers, and cleaning supplies

Transportation and food delivery programs for seniors

Alternate housing for women escaping intimate partner abuse

Reusable face masks/coverings, and other PPE

BASIC NECESSITIES

Although personal hygiene products are still being distributed to families in need through the Community Closet, Better Beginnings Better Futures expects to help 300 people access essential hygiene products including soap, tooth brushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoo.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

The CRF helped YWCA ensure that women escaping intimate partner violence were provided alternative housing, regular/daily check-ins, food, support and referrals.

CRF Overview

Feeding Families in Need

With funding made available through the CRF, Our Children Our Future purchased 200 $50 food gift cards to help families that had already exhausted all other means to feed their children.

Total raised ... $327,029

Total invested ... $276,985

Programs funded ... 41

People impacted... 6,800+

CRF Summary:

ACROSS 6 DISTRICTS

• People living in poverty

• Seniors

• People requiring mental health supports

• Indigenous people

• People with disabilities

• Individuals experiencing partner violence

• Newcomers and refugees

Vulnerable Populations Helped

YOUR SUPPORT Helped ADDRESS:

“Many families were overwhelmed with relief and gratitude.”

- Pregnancy Care Centre and Infant Food Bank

COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS AT WORK

Special thanks to Canadian Tire for generously donating 1,520 litres of hand sanitizer to help keep our community

safe and healthy.

#locallove

#LOCALLOVE

IN ACTION

#THANKYOU

2 3

Your generosity and support made these investments possible!

Thank you.

The purpose of the CRF was to address immediate needs through short-term emergency grants. Many of the applications received were requests from charitable organizations and qualified donees (municipalities) addressing food security through programs that helped meet the needs of their clients and the communities at large.

GROCERY GIFT CARD PROGRAMSGrocery gift card programs in communities across the region were an efficient means to help ensure that people could access basic necessities to help them through this challenging time.

HOT MEAL PROGRAMSPrepared meals are essential for many individuals in our community. Through COVID-19, meals were packaged and distributed for take-away. Project Love in Timmins serves approximately 170 dinners every Monday night. The Gathering Place in North Bay utilized a portion of their funding to provide two extra meals a week. For many, meals are scarce and much appreciated. All guests, regardless of their circumstances are welcomed with smiles and words of encouragement, a simple but powerful action to show people they matter.

GROCERIES, FOOD HAMPERS AND GIFT PACKAGESGroceries and other essentials were purchased and distributed or delivered to vulnerable people.

FOOD BANKSWith an increase in usage, additional supplies including fresh produce and non-perishable food items were needed to replenish shelves and increase food provisions.

The Sudbury Women’s Centre (SWC) received a grant of $8,744, which provided 120 families with basic needs supplies like food, hygiene products and infant items such as diapers and

Basic Needs Care Packages Sudbury Women’s Centre

To learn more about UWCNEO, please visit www.uwcneo.com

BASIC NEEDS

formula. With the pandemic, our most vulnerable citizens are at greater risk. Basic Needs Care Packages impacted a total of 384 people, 194 being children! Here’s what some of the clients had to share...

“Amazing community program for families and women in need.”

“This is a good program that helps my family to meet some of their needs. I really appreciate every bit of it.”

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Local Love in a Global Crisis Community Response Fund (CRF) – Updated September 2020 UWCNEO established the CFR to provide emergency grants to local charitable organizations working to meet the basic needs of individuals disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19). These short-term, emergency grants were focused to three key pillars; Community Services, Help for Seniors, and Basic Needs.

Charity Pillar Brief Program Description Investment Cochrane District Kapuskasing Food Bank Basic Needs Non-perishable food items to restock food bank shelves $3,000

Centre Passerelle pour femmes du nord de l’Ontario

Basic Needs Essential supplies for displaced women and children $6,000

First Baptist Church Basic Needs / Community Services Prepared meals; Essential supplies for the food bank $8,700

Mountjoy United Church Basic Needs Project Love - Grocery gift cards to help individuals experiencing homelessness; Financial support to sustain the hot meal program (app. 200 pp/ 8 meals per month)

$16,240

Mennonite Central Committee Ontario

Basic Needs Addressing food security through 'Extending the Cupboard' – Grocery gift cards for Indigenous families.

$10,000

Cochrane and Manitoulin Districts Cornerstone Christian Assembly of Manitoulin

Basic Needs Food transportation costs associated with the Free Food Share Giveaway

$1,300

Cochrane, Sudbury, and Manitoulin Districts

UWCNEO Basic Needs Purchase of reusable masks/face coverings for vulnerable populations

$61,876

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Charity Pillar Brief Program Description Investment

Manitoulin District

Corporation of the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands

Help for Seniors / Basic Needs Grocery gift card program for vulnerable seniors $3,000

Nipissing District

Mattawa and Area Food Bank Basic Needs Non-perishable food items to restock food bank shelves $2,000

AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area

Basic Needs Food and essential items for clients $3,000

The Children's Aid Society of Nipissing Parry Sound

Basic Needs Groceries and gift cards to help families in need $5,000

The Gathering Place Basic Needs Two extra meals a week through the Soup Kitchen; The expansion of the Food Rescue Program; Food delivery to 30 isolated individuals

$11,000

Parry Sound District Community Living Parry Sound Basic Needs Food, household supplies and activities for clients in

need $ 500

Harvest Share Basic Needs Food bank call centre and delivery program $4,600

Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve Basic Needs Growing Together - Food planter program to address food insecurity

$5,000

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Charity Pillar Brief Program Description Investment Sudbury District Chapleau Pentecostal Church Basic Needs Transportation costs associated with a one-time food

delivery to the food bank $1,500

Health Sciences North Foundation (VOICES for Women)

Basic Needs Grocery gift cards and relief packages for victims of sexual violence

$7,500

Our Children Our Future Family Resources

Basic Needs Food and grocery gift cards for families in need $10,000

Pregnancy Care Centre and Infant Food Bank

Basic Needs Diapers, formula, baby food and car seats for families in need

$10,000

Sudbury Better Beginnings Educational Fund

Basic Needs Home delivery of food boxes for 60 clients; Personal hygiene products for clients in need

$2,100

Sudbury Women's Centre Basic Needs Food, formula, hygiene products, diapers and other essential supplies for vulnerable women and their families

$9,744

YWCA Sudbury, Genevra House Community Services Alternative shelter and expanded staffing costs to help women experiencing domestic/partner violence

$10,000

Canadian Mental Health Association- Sudbury/Manitoulin

Basic Needs / Community Services Food and hygiene products for the Off the Street Shelter; Room dividers for the shelter to safely operate at capacity

$23,000

Elizabeth Fry Society of Northeastern Ontario

Basic Needs / Community Services Essential personal supplies and data phone cards for clients in need

$3,000

Inner City Home Basic Needs Protein supplies and hygiene products for the food bank $2,500

N'Swakamok Native Friendship Centre

Help for Seniors / Basic Needs Grocery gift cards for seniors in need $10,000

Monarch Recovery Services Basic Needs Support 75 individuals with basic necessities including food, personal hygiene items, and baby products

$10,000

Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Greater Sudbury

Basic Needs Food hampers and PPE for 40 families in need $5,000

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Charity Pillar Brief Program Description Investment Sudbury District…continued

Brain Injury Association of Sudbury District (BIASD)

Basic Needs Provide food and essentials to 37 BIASD members in need

$3,925

Corporation of the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers

Basic Needs PPE and grocery gift cards for 500 vulnerable people $8,000

Timiskaming District Good Shepherd Church Help for Seniors / Basic Needs Hot meal delivery, grocery shopping and prescription

delivery $6,000

Township of Hilliard Help for Seniors / Basic Needs Grocery gift card program for vulnerable seniors $6,250

Township of Larder Lake Basic Needs Food hamper program $2,000

Township of Brethour Help for Seniors / Basic Needs Grocery gift card program for vulnerable seniors $3,250

The Corporation of the Township of Armstrong

Basic Needs Grocery gift cards $2,000

TOTAL CRF INVESTMENT $276,985