2002 annual report - United Way

message from the
president
Working for the United Way in KFL&A is both a privilege and a
huge responsibility. It's a privilege because I get to work with the
most amazing team of volunteers and staff, knowing that we make
a difference every day of the year. It's a huge responsibility
because the mission of the United Way is such an extensive one -
helping to build the capacity of a community. We do this through
fundraising, community building and supporting the voluntary sector
in many ways.
The United Way continues to grow. This year, we raised over 2
million dollars, a significant milestone in our community's history.
Thanks to a caring and generous community, we have seen significant
growth, a 38% increase over a four-year period. Glen Wood,
2002 Campaign Chair, and his team of community volunteers
cheerfully took our campaign to its highest level yet.
We are fortunate, in this community, to have a dedicated group of
volunteers who put in many hours reviewing our funding applications.
They invest time and emotion to make recommendations
that will strengthen our network of services.
As our community's needs change, our United Way has responded.
We’ve expanded our support to include agencies that provide critical
services to the homeless, youth in crisis, the hungry, those in
need and many people who occasionally need a hand up.
In 2002, we started working on Success By 6, a United Way initiative
that supports services for children 0-6 years, their parents and
caregivers. As we all know, anything we can do to facilitate early
development will benefit our community in the future.
We will also be working this year on 211 - providing an easy to
recall 3 digit number with trained referral agents, who will connect
community residents with government and social services.
I'd like to thank our Board Chair, Valerie Mallen, our Board of
Directors for their leadership, our campaign and allocations volunteers
for their enthusiasm and commitment, our community agencies
for their hard work and dedication and, last but not least, our
tireless overworked staff who are an inspiration to me. Thank you!
Bhavana Varma
United Way serving Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington