On September 23, United Way Ottawa announced its goal for the 2009 Community Campaign — $31.7 million. With this year’s campaign theme of Rediscover Community, United Way is asking everyone to look at our community in a new light, to contemplate their aspirations for it and to consider United Way as their way to achieve those aspirations.

Meet our 2009 Loaned Representatives

An important component of the success of United Way Ottawa’s annual community campaign is the Loaned Representative (LR) program. Employees from the public and private sectors are “loaned” by their employers for a 16-week period to help with our campaign.

LRs bring great energy to the campaign each year, helping to organize more than 1,800 workplace campaigns across the city. They facilitate and attend campaign meetings and events, mobilize support, promote the campaign, help recruit and keep volunteers and donors, and generate awareness about United Way’s work to build a strong, healthy and safe community for all.

Thank you to the organizations that have sponsored our 2009 LR team:

Front Row, Left to Right
Janet Marshall, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Jo Pasternak, Industry Canada, Christine Gagné, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Jamie Chin, Canada Revenue Agency, Micheline Lacombe, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Kathy Burns, Ottawa Police Service, Lyse Piché, University of Ottawa, Linda Begin, Transport Canada, Kamna Lal, Canada Revenue Agency

Middle Row
Nathalie Cale, Public Service Alliance of Canada, Rina Awada, General Dynamics Canada, Katie Steeves, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Nicole Ladouceur, Public Safety Canada, Julie Latreille, Health Canada, Danielle Plunkett, National Research Council of Canada, Joanne Clarke, Environment Canada, Colinda Dubeau, Innovapost

Back Row
Manny Pereira, Health Canada, Corinne Pitre, Export Development Canada, Marc Boudreau, Service Canada,
Lynn Guibert, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Michael Guy, Service Canada, Sarah Lawless, MBNA/Bank of America, Joëlle Joly, Ontario Public Service, Krista English, Scotiabank, Cathy Nolan, City of Ottatwa, Joanna Morris, TD Canada Trust, John Klatt, volunteer, Raffi Fattal, volunteer

Missing:
Marc Bouliane, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Fran Fortin, Hydro Ottawa, Sophie Lamadeleine, Public Works and Government Services, Judy Pouliot, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

This year’s campaign theme, Rediscover Community, engages all of us living and working in our community in a new and deeper way. To help you get involved, we’ve created a number of tools, including online posters that you can customize for your own use.

It’s easy and it’s fun. Download a poster that interests you, insert a photo of you or your colleagues, distribute them throughout your workplace or share with your family and friends. Use them in your fundraising activities. The possibilities are endless.

The poster files are available as PDFs (for Adobe software users) and .doc files (for those working in Microsoft Word).

We also have customizable flyers and tickets — also available in PNG format — that you can use to promote events and activities or create invitations.

Check out our customizable material for everything you need to get creative — and involved!

People give to United Way Ottawa because they want to make a difference in our community. Now, there’s a new way to make a difference — on a larger scale.

United Way Ottawa is working closely with individuals and corporations to identify areas where they can make a customized investment in our community. A new way to engage donors, Targeted Community Investment is about connecting the donor with the community in a way that is meaningful for and specific to the donor, but which also leverages the important work being done by our community partners.

The latest example of such an investment is Hydro Ottawa’s Shelter and Warmth Fund, created in partnership with United Way. The company’s corporate gift is being administered through an innovative vehicle that operates much like a mutual fund — although the purpose is “to deliver social dividends in our community rather than financial returns,” says Rosemarie Leclair, President and CEO of Hydro Ottawa. “The fund allows us to make focused investments where they can have the most profound and lasting impact.”

Based on recommendations from United Way, Hydro Ottawa is supporting four organizations through the fund, all of which help people stay sheltered and warm. They are Options Bytown, which serves low-income people and those who are homeless; St. Mary’s Home, which provides a safe, secure home for young pregnant women and new mothers; The Good Companions, which helps seniors and adults with physical disabilities live independently; and Housing Help for Newcomers, a program that provides support to newcomers who are homeless or at risk of losing their housing.

“This investment will pay dividends to our community for years to come,” says Rosemarie.

For more information on Targeted Community Investments, contact Martin Sampson  at 613-683-3794 or e-mail msampson@unitedwayottawa.ca.

How to get a job 101 — and learn more about community involvement!

Everyone knows the best way to find work is through someone you know or through a friend of a friend. But networking is also a good way to find out how to get more involved in the community.

Schmoozefest ’09, hosted by United Way Ottawa’s Next Generation Cabinet, offers young professionals between the ages of 20 and 40 an opportunity to do both.

A fun and relaxing event, the annual Schmoozefest links young professionals with business, government and community leaders, who are not only successful in their chosen fields but find significant ways to give back to our community. This year’s VIPs include: Ion Aimers, Founder and Owner, The WORKS Gourmet Burger Bistro; William Baker, Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Canada RevenueAgency;Meena Ballantyne, Assistant Deputy Minister, Health, Products and Food Branch, Health Canada;Luc Levesque, Founder, TravelPod.com; and Darren Nippard, Managing Director, Accenture.

In addition to schmoozing time, there will also be a live auction, hosted by defence attorney Lawrence Greenspon, and a silent auction in support of United Way Ottawa. To wrap up the evening, participants can unwind with DJ Illson. 

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door or $200 for 10 tickets. Reserve before Friday, October 16.

This year’s event is not one to be missed. You never know who you could be schmoozing with next.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit the Schmoozefest event page.

Nominate someone you know for a Community Builder Award

Do you know a Community Builder? United Way Ottawa’s Community Builder Awards (CBAs) recognize people who make a difference in the lives of others in our community through their volunteer work. United Way’s volunteer recognition team is out and about in the community throughout the year, handing out surprise CBAs to many unsuspecting and well-deserving recipients. In addition to the award, the names of the recipients are inscribed on the Scotiabank Wall of Inspiration, located at Ottawa City Hall.

Send in your nomination today and help us celebrate Ottawa’s outstanding volunteers!

Our volunteer recognition team has grown!
We are very excited to welcome Lucy van Oldenbarneveld, host of CBC News: Ottawa at 5, 5:30 and 6, and Sarah Onyango, a host at Rogers TV, to United Way Ottawa’s volunteer recognition team. They join Michael O’Byrne, Karen Soloman and Suzanne Pinel as the dynamic group that surprises deserving recipients at events, workplaces and just about any other place they can sneak into!

Hire Immigrants Ottawa holding employer training sessions

United Way Ottawa is one of the lead partners of Hire Immigrants Ottawa (HIO), a community-based initiative that works with local employers to enhance their capacity to effectively hire and integrate skilled immigrants into the workplace.   

HIO is hosting several complimentary sessions for employers in November.

On November 4, the information session Preparing Your Workplace to Address Talent Shortages will focus on a couple of key issues, including the changing demographics of Ottawa’s labour force and how it affects employers. Tips, tools and resources to help employers stay competitive and tap into the knowledge of Ottawa’s skilled immigrants will also be offered. The session takes place from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Newcomer Information Centre at 240 Catherine Street.

Other November workshops will focus on cross-cultural competency training and will be held at the United Way Ottawa offices at 363 Coventry Road.

Introduction to Cross-Cultural Competency Training
November 5: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Intercultural Problem-Solving Strategies and Case Studies
November 24: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Workplace Inclusiveness Practices
November 26: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Space is limited, so register early. You can register by calling 613-228-6715 or e-mailing ldeacon@hireimmigrantsottawa.ca. For more information, visit www.hireimmigrantsottawa.ca.