Table of Contents
- Project s.t.e.p. – The Education and Prevention Side
- Isn’t it time your organization considered participating in this unique program?
- Hire Immigrants Ottawa receives Arthur Kroeger College Award
- Volunteers do make a difference
- 10 years of recognizing our Community Builders of the Year
- Celebrate Royal Oak’s 30th anniversary and support United Way!
Project s.t.e.p. – The education and prevention side
Project s.t.e.p., is our community’s response to addressing the need for residential substance abuse treatment, education and prevention for teens. Recent news highlighted the opening of a temporary anglophone site at the Meadow Creek facility in the city’s west end until a new 30-bed facility on the same land is built. For the francophone site in Vanier, Maison Fraternité will begin to expand its facility later this spring with a target opening for the fall.
But what is less well-known is the other part of this campaign — and that’s education and prevention in our high schools.
To quote one of project s.t.e.p.’s most vocal advocates, Chief Vern White, education and prevention is as equally important as treatment because we’re providing support to teens who are just beginning to experiment with drugs.
And, education and prevention programs work. Only a few high schools in Ottawa have been providing support to students who are dealing with substance abuse (some at a low level of service). But of these 22 schools, 60 per cent of the students who received counselling significantly reduced their substance use over the school year, 45 per cent increased their grade average and 80 per cent finished their school year.
Funding for this important program is provided by the City of Ottawa, Champlain Local Health Integration Network, four local school boards and United Way Ottawa. As well, some large donors to project s.t.e.p. have asked that their funds be directed to the education and prevention component because they see huge value in a collaborative, city-wide program that will be there to help our teens for a long time to come.
With project s.t.e.p.’s help, Ottawa’s four school boards are enhancing existing substance abuse education, counselling and prevention programs in all 55 high schools in the Ottawa area — a target that includes every high school and non-traditional academic setting in the city. And, in part thanks to a $1 million contribution from Health Canada, facilities such as the Youville Centre for teen moms will have increased on-site addictions counselling and the aboriginal community will benefit from culturally-sensitive addictions counselling in the high schools they attend.
Our campaign goal is $6 million, and so far we have raised just over $4.8 million. With your help, we can reach our goal. Want to learn more about project s.t.e.p. and how you can be part of the solution? Visit www.project-step.ca.
Isn’t it time your organization considered participating in this unique program?
Every year organizations across Ottawa engage with United Way Ottawa in many ways. One of these is by participating in our Loaned Representative (LR) program.
The program benefits everyone:
- Employers, by ‘loaning’ an employee for 16 weeks, get back an employee who has acquired new business skills, fresh insights and a deeper connection to our community. Companies also benefit from a broad range of recognition opportunities.
- Employees benefit from hands-on training and experience in sales, communication, marketing, project and time management, all within a dynamic and exciting environment. They also advance their professional leadership skills and expand their networks.
- Our community benefits from the energy, passion and enthusiasm that LRs bring to their United Way experience throughout the annual community campaign.
In 2009, 39 Loaned Representatives helped United Way make a difference in our community.
Isn’t it time your organization considered participating in this unique program? Visit www.unitedwayottawa.ca to learn more or call Sue Hutton at 613-228-2504.
Hire Immigrants Ottawa receives Arthur Kroeger College Award
Hire Immigrants Ottawa (HIO) has won a prestigious Arthur Kroeger College Award for Public Affairs.
A United Way Ottawa initiative funded by the Government of Ontario and Citizenship and Immigration Canada, HIO was recognized for its work promoting the integration of skilled immigrants into the workforce while bringing together employers, immigrants, agencies and other stakeholders.
The Arthur Kroeger College Awards for Public Affairs honour excellence in several areas that contribute significantly to the vibrancy of Canadian democracy and our society as a whole.
“HIO works hard to give employers the tools, resources and networks necessary to respond to demographic shifts in our community,” says Michael Allen, President and CEO, United Way Ottawa.
According to Statistics Canada, Ottawa’s foreign-born population is set to jump from 19 per cent in 2006 to 36 per cent in 2031.
“Immigrants and new Canadians are a largely untapped pool of incredible skills, work experience and levels of education,” says Rosemarie Leclair, President and CEO, Hydro Ottawa and co-chair of HIO’s Employer Council of Champions. “There is huge potential in what this group has to offer our workplaces and for their own professional and personal development.”
Our congratulations to the team at HIO for their tremendous progress in knocking down barriers, helping skilled immigrants secure meaningful employment and enabling employers to tap into this powerful workforce.
Lead partners of the HIO initiative in addition to United Way Ottawa include City of Ottawa, Local Agencies Serving Immigrants (LASI) World Skills Inc., le Regroupement des Gens d’Affaires de la Capitale Nationale (RGA), Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) and Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.
Volunteers do make a difference
April 18 to 24 is National Volunteer Week — the biggest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in our country. Organizations across Canada, particularly in the non-profit sector, benefit tremendously from the contributions of volunteers.
United Way Ottawa is no different.
Thousands of volunteers contribute their time, influence and knowledge every year to making our community better for everyone. “I am continually amazed by the contributions that volunteers make to United Way, whether through fundraising, committee work or office assistance. All United Way volunteers play an important role in achieving a stronger, healthier, safer community for all,” says Michael Allen, President and CEO.
We encourage you to take a moment to thank those who have given their time, skills and knowledge to help our community.
Beyond our own volunteers, we are also honouring organizations, partnerships, agencies and neighbourhood groups that work tirelessly, passionately and collectively to help make our community a better place at the annual Community Builder of the Year Awards Gala on May 19. Come and join us in celebrating all that has been made possible by these community builder volunteers.
10 years of recognizing our Community Builders of the Year
For the past decade the Community Builder of the Year Awards Gala has been a place for United Way Ottawa to recognize those in our community who are dedicated to making Ottawa a better place for everyone. These individuals, organizations, partnerships, agencies and neighbourhood groups work unassumingly and collaboratively to improve the lives of others.
Past Community Builder of the Year Award winners include:
- Stephen Greenberg for his support of children and youth programs, including after-school homework clubs, and for his work with many community organizations across the city;
- Aliai Lual for her commitment to helping youth, both here in Ottawa and internationally, reach their full potential; and
- Dave Smith for his countless fundraising and volunteer efforts.
Join past and present Community Builders of the Year at this year’s 10th anniversary gala, which takes place on May 19 at the Westin Hotel. Purchase your tickets now. You don’t want to miss this ‘signature’ event with your United Way.
Celebrate Royal Oak’s 30th anniversary and support United Way
An idea and a dream became reality in April 1980 when the first Royal Oak opened its doors at 318 Bank Street, serving pub fare and pints to a public eager for the simplicity and comfort of a local pub. Since then, 10 more Royal Oaks have been established in distinct areas of Ottawa. Each one has become part of these neighbourhoods — and a “second home” to the people living there.
We invite you to join us for breakfast to celebrate this milestone.
Where: The “original” Oak at 318 Bank Street
When: Tuesday, April 20 at 8:00 a.m.
Cost: Tickets are $10 each and proceeds are going to United Way Ottawa