The Speakers’ Bureau is a group of trained speakers who have a passion for their community. Each speaker has undergone professional training in one of United Way Ottawa’s focus areas: Growing Up Great, Belonging to Community and Turning Lives Around. Through their moving presentations, your group will learn more about the issues in our community, the work of United Way in addressing these issues, and personal stories of lives changed through programs and services funded by United Way.
Growing Up Great
Investment in children and youth now means lasting improvements in their lives and in the quality of our community. And we know that dollar every invested in a child today saves many dollars down the road. To help kids grow up great, we are focusing our efforts in two areas: making sure that more kids enter school ready to learn; and ensuring that vulnerable children and youth have healthy, safe opportunities to learn and grow outside of school hours.
Belonging to Community
Making sure that people can become or remain connected to community makes good sense. It enables human potential, helping people lead richer lives and reducing the costs of social supports. To strengthen connections to community, we are focusing our efforts in four areas: ensuring that more seniors have the supports they need to age in their own homes; decreasing the unemployment and underemployment of immigrants and new Canadians; connecting people with disabilities to meaningful employment opportunities; and increasing the number of people working together to improve their own neighbourhoods.
Turning Lives Around
For many in our community, just getting through the day can present serious challenges. Poverty, mental illness, homelessness, family violence and crime all take their toll. To help turn lives around, we are focusing our efforts in three areas: filling our city’s gap in addictions prevention, education and treatment facilities for youth; providing support and treatment for people and families in crisis; and decreasing and preventing chronic homelessness.
Please click the link below to access the Speaker Request Form.
