March 2009 Table of Contents
- Last call for CBA of the Year nominations!
- Dropping the puck for low-income kids and youth
- Society’s safety net: social workers at the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa
- Who you gonna call? Ottawa 211, naturally!
- What would you do with $2,500? Call for youth grant applications
- Thinking outside the hat … the cowboy hat!
Last call for CBA of the Year nominations!
Do you know of an organization, partnership, agency or neighbourhood group that 
has worked passionately to help “build our community?” If so, we want to hear from you!
We’re looking to honour and celebrate groups in our community that have helped to make Ottawa a better place at our annual Community Builder of the Year Awards Gala, which takes place on May 28.
Send us your nominations by Friday, March 27. For more information, click here.
Society’s safety net: social workers at the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa
Social work is a profession grounded in hope. For the clients of the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa (YSB), whose services receive support from United Way/Centraide Ottawa, sometimes hope is all they have.
“I’m a real believer in hope,” says registered social worker Maureen Davidson, coordinator of YSB’s counselling services program. “It’s something everyone can grab onto. We work with many high-risk youth and their families, and often we find that there is something that has pulled them through in the past, that has gotten them through a rough patch. We build on this inner strength to help the youth, and their family, move forward.”
Considered a safety net in today’s complex society, social workers at the YSB work collaboratively with other service providers to build on the family’s strengths — all the while helping youth reach their full potential.
“Kids today are facing some really tough, complex situations — and our job is to help them make effective and positive lifestyle decisions,” says Maureen. “We bring in as many people as we need to support the youth and ensure his or her best interests are considered.”
During March, National Social Work Month, consider the important role that social workers play in helping many community agencies like the YSB build a strong, healthy, safe Ottawa. To find out more about how United Way/Centraide is supporting these agencies, click here to view our Community Investment Directory.
Who you gonna call? Ottawa 211, naturally!
More than 5,000 people called in to Ottawa 211 between September and December 2008. Our community’s new information and referral service connects callers to a range of social, government and health service programs and made its official début on September 19 after a six-month trial run.
The service is a hit. The number of calls in the last quarter of 2008 has exceeded expectations. As well, an overwhelming majority are so satisfied with the outcome that they would use it again.
Success stories run the gamut from calls for help with transportation to health-care issues. Here are just a few examples of people who were helped by Ottawa 211’s trained, bilingual specialists: a man with a severe medical condition whose apartment was being fumigated for an infestation found temporary shelter; a teen in trouble with the law and living with domestic violence was linked to a supportive facility; and a woman in a bitter custody situation got advice from an organization that deals in international child abduction cases.
For the Community Information Centre of Ottawa (CICO), which manages the service, Ottawa 211’s success in its start-up period is proof positive that the service is both needed and welcome.
“In our first three months of operation, we received more than 5,300 calls — and those numbers are growing monthly,” says Marie-Andrée, Executive Director of CICO. “We are positive that 211 will become indispensable to the community.”
For more information, click here or dial 2-1-1.
What would you do with $2,500? Call for youth grant applications
United Way Ottawa is calling on Ottawa’s youth to help us build a strong and vibrant community. We’re challenging youth to take a look around their schools and community and come up with an idea for a project that they think will address an issue or challenge.
Deadline for applications is Monday, March 23 at 4:00 p.m. For more information on the application process or project ideas, click here.
Thinking outside the hat … the cowboy hat!
Rogers Radio, the parent company to Y101, and concert promoter Live Nation teamed up to bring Brad Paisley to Ottawa. It was a match made for the people of Ottawa: $1 from every ticket sold went to United Way Ottawa — and hence back into the community.
“We are thrilled to see companies finding creative ways to support our work,” says Michael Allen, President and CEO, United Way/Centraide. “This event demonstrates that giving, getting involved and raising awareness can happen any time of year and through any number of ways. Rogers Radio and Live Nation literally thought outside of the hat for our community. And, because of this, both fans and the community come out ahead.”
