April 2022 issue

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In the fall, the Board of Directors received news from the United Way that there was no funding
for the CSS Move Well program. More recently, we learned further that funding for the remaining
Community Support Services would be dramatically reduced. The Board and staff are committed to
a transition plan through this year to ensure that major issues like food insecurity and isolation
continue to be addressed for the most vulnerable.
As always, we have a dedicated board of directors and hundreds of volunteers working hard for
our members! Be sure to come by and visit us often.
CSS Funding Update: March 2022
The Guelph Wellington Seniors Association works with the City of Guelph and agencies like the
United Way to offer diverse programs for seniors. As a non-profit association, we rely on available
funding sources and apply for numerous grants each year. While our GWSA activity groups and
programs are supported through membership dues and group fees, the Community Support
Services (CSS) are funded primarily through grants and donations.
In recent years, the United Way has been the main funder for our Community Support Services.
Last fall, we learned that the United Way had received applications for more than three times what
was available for them to allocate. The United Way made some difficult decisions, and invited the
GWSA to submit applications for all of our CSS programs, with the exception of the Move Well
program. Consequently, the Move Well funding program ended on March 31, 2022.
In February, the GWSA received further news that the United Way funding, including the
remaining CSS programs, would be reduced by 76%, effective April 1, 2022. This critically
impacts supports like our food insecurity and outreach programs.
We are disappointed, but understand that there is greater community need with fewer resources
due to the pandemic. Our volunteer Board of Directors respects the difficult decisions of the United
Way and appreciates the many years of support and funding they have been able to provide.
Although funding has diminished, our commitment to ensure the availability of programs
remains strong. Even with reduced funding, the GWSA Board of Directors has decided it will
continue to support the remaining Community Support Services programming until December 31,
2022, while staff and Board members explore transitioning those CSS programs to other
community support agencies or organizations.
The Board recognizes that it is accountable to our members to be fiscally responsible. At the
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The Sentinel - April 2022 — Vol. 46, No. 8