The Weyburn and District United Way had a strong year in 2015 in spite of challenges in the local economy, exceeding the year’s goal for fundraising and allocating funds to their 11 member agencies for their projects and services.
The details of the year’s activities were explained at the organization’s annual meeting on Wednesday evening in the Weyburn Legion Hall, where it was explained the United Way brought in a total of $132,059, and allocated $109,800 to the member agencies.
Following a series of performances by girls from the Weyburn Comp’s STARS Show Choir, singing a variety of songs in solos and small groups, Mayor Debra Button and Reeve Carmen Sterling both made comments to the members gathered for the meeting.
Paying tribute to the volunteers and their hard work, Mayor Button noted they volunteer where ever they are needed in the community.
“Member agencies face significant pressures … and depend on the support they receive from the United Way. The money you raise at Communithon is often the difference between viability and sustainability,” said the mayor, adding the 33-hour event is great for showcasing local talent in a live venue.
It is because of the tireless efforts of the volunteers that Weyburn that “we can claim to be a great place to work and live and invest, and retire in comfort,” said the mayor.
Reeve Sterling said she sees some of the same faces amongst the volunteers, but also is seeing some new faces when she attends meetings for groups like the United Way.
“You make our community better for the greater good of the community. I know families who’ve been touched by member agencies. You don’t know how important they are until they’ve been touched their efforts,” said the reeve, noting a nephew who has benefitted by attending Camp Easter Seal, with the experience making a big difference in his life.
Reeve Sterling also noted that during the flooding in 2011, the Red Cross, a member agency, provided a lot of help to a lot of people in Weyburn and in the area.
“To the member agencies, thank you. You make this community that much better,” she said.
In the report on the Communithon, committee chair Karen Kennedy-Allin noted the goal was $130,000, and while the on-air total was $124,000, the United Way received revenues of $132,059 by the end of the year, enabling the disbursement to the member agencies.
There were 80 acts who entertained at the 33-hour Communithon event at the Cugnet Centre, and this was the second year the telethon was located in that facility.
One of the challenges they are facing, she said, is that as the level of technology grows, “it does sometimes make it difficult to find the volunteers with the technological skills needed for the production side of the Communithon.”
The fundraising included a mailout to 318 local businesses, said executive director Sandra Alexander in her report, along with several donations from new donors.
She and president Sabrina Kraft attended the national convention for United Way Canada, where they heard there are three focus areas they want member agencies to be addressing: 1. All that kids can be; 2. From poverty to prosperity; and 3. Healthy communities, healthy people.
In the annual report, each of the member agencies indicated with their request for funding what they are providing in the way of services and how they meet these focus areas.
In the financial report, the United Way had total revenue of $132,059 for the year, and expenses of $136,158, leaving a shortfall of $4,099, which was made up through the reserves. This shortfall was less than half of the shortfall last year, when it was $9,397.
The expenses totalled $14,274 for management and administration, and the fundraising expenses totalled $26,246, up by $4,000 from last year.
