This holiday season, United Way KW encourages you to give your loved ones an unforgettable gift that benefits our whole community.
If you're looking for the perfect Christmas gift - one that stands out from the rest and officially earns you the title of “Best Gift Giver of the Year” - you won’t want to miss the opportunity to bid in the 2011 edition of our Online Dream Auction.
As James Chmiel, our 2011 United Way KW Campaign Chair, explains, “We’ve taken your typical auction and transformed it into an opportunity to have the experience of a lifetime. Think back to your childhood dreams of what you wanted to be when you grew up. This auction provides a chance to make those dreams come true, either for yourself or for someone dear to your heart.”
Included among the many auction packages available are the chance to be police chief for a day, opportunities to be a talk show host or food critic on local radio, and the chance to play hockey with the Kitchener Rangers. These and many other dreams are only a bid away.
Whether it’s a well-deserved holiday gift for yourself, or something unique for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list, you'll find something for everyone.
In the spirit of the holiday season comes one more festive detail - all proceeds from the United Way KW Dream Auction will help support social service needs in our community. Afterall, the holiday season is the perfect time to help make a difference for someone in need.
Bidding starts Tuesday November 29th at 9 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. on Wednesday November 30th. Bids can be placed at http://donateuway.com/auction or directly through the United Way KW web site at http://www.uwaykw.org/.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
“And that’s the kind of day it’s been…”
Be it good news, bad news, or something in between, we could always count on Lloyd to tell it like it was with his deep, steady voice and calm presence. If anything - or anyone - ever ruffled his feathers, he certainly hid it well.
For many Canadians, Lloyd’s sign off - “and that’s the kind of day it’s been” - meant it was time to turn off the TV and go to bed.
Here I am sounding like Lloyd exited the airwaves permanently, when in actual fact you can still watch him regularly as host and chief correspondent for W5.
And… you can catch him in person right here in the KW area on Friday November 25th as he helps us honour Lisa LaFlamme at our Annual Celebrity Event at Federation Hall. For more details and tickets, visit http://www.uwaykw.org/.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Rising to the occasion during difficult times
We shared some difficult news with the media last week. At a time when the demand for social services continues to rise in our community, we’re currently forecasting that only $4.9 million will be raised during this year’s fall workplace campaign towards the $6 million overall revenue challenge issued back in September.
As I explained to the media, we’re seeing a trend in local companies kicking off their workplace campaigns much later, which means we may not learn their campaign results until well into the new year. The other side of the story is that while we're seeing significant increases among some workplaces that have completed their campaigns, overall there’s a downward trend in funds pledged.
In response to this announcement, House of Friendship - an agency with several programs and initiatives supported by United Way KW - posted a blog entry entitled “United, we are stronger”. I really encourage you to read this blog, which is written by House of Friendship employee Matt Cooper. It explores the value behind supporting United Way and provides some real answers from real people in our community about why they choose to give.
Here’s an excerpt:
“The United Way has shared its concerns and hopes for this year’s campaign. As a community and individuals we have a choice about how we respond. House of Friendship staff have chosen to step up. Join us. Think about YOUR reason for giving and support United Way and our community. We all benefit.”
As I explained to the media, we’re seeing a trend in local companies kicking off their workplace campaigns much later, which means we may not learn their campaign results until well into the new year. The other side of the story is that while we're seeing significant increases among some workplaces that have completed their campaigns, overall there’s a downward trend in funds pledged.
In response to this announcement, House of Friendship - an agency with several programs and initiatives supported by United Way KW - posted a blog entry entitled “United, we are stronger”. I really encourage you to read this blog, which is written by House of Friendship employee Matt Cooper. It explores the value behind supporting United Way and provides some real answers from real people in our community about why they choose to give.
Here’s an excerpt:
“The United Way has shared its concerns and hopes for this year’s campaign. As a community and individuals we have a choice about how we respond. House of Friendship staff have chosen to step up. Join us. Think about YOUR reason for giving and support United Way and our community. We all benefit.”
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Attention all sports fans! Have we got a treat for you!
 |
| James Duthie, Host, NHL on TSN |
In addition to his duties at TSN, James joined Lisa in co-hosting CTV’s Olympic Daytime during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. He also hosted coverage of Team Canada Men’s Hockey during the Games. Talk about a dream job!
This coverage garnered James the Gemini Award for Best Sportscaster or Anchor in 2010. He previously won this same award in 2009 for hosting ‘NHL on TSN TradeCentre ’09’.
James also has two previous Olympic Games and a whole roster of other sports shows under his belt, including stints as co-host of the evening edition of SportsCentre, host of TSN’s CFL studio show and time spent covering the NBA.
James’ talents lie not only in broadcast journalism, but print journalism as well. In 2010, he published two books - They Call Me Killer: Tales from Junior Hockey’s Legendary Hall-of-Fame Coach and The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys.
We can’t wait to welcome James to Waterloo later this month and hear what he has to say about Lisa.
Tickets are on sale now at http://www.uwaykw.org./
Jan
Monday, November 7, 2011
Transformational Change Ignites Uncertainty and Passion
“Change isn’t on the horizon for United Way, it is the horizon.”
I wrote these words in a blog post last fall, and they merit repeating here as we at United Way KW find ourselves in the midst of transformational change. It’s something we've been working at for over 4 years since realizing that acting as a fundraising organization for approximately 42 agencies is no longer enough; we need to move to investing in long term, sustainable social change. Doing so requires not merely a few improvements here or there, but rather an all-encompassing shift to a new direction that impacts our strategies, our processes, our corporate culture, our mindset and, of course, our stakeholders.
Not only are staff roles and expectations changing, but those of our volunteers are too, as are our relationships with organizations, donors, and the programs and initiatives we support.
Not everyone reacts to change in the same way. Some stakeholders will embrace our new direction wholeheartedly, while others may feel discomfort and uncertainty. Resistance is a natural and expected reaction.
While it is inevitable that some folks will resist our changes, it is important to keep in mind the consequences of not changing. We must remember, too, that we did not enter into this decision lightly. In order to ensure that no one in our community gets left behind, we also need to make sure United Way doesn’t get left behind.
In the midst of uncertainty, one thing is for certain. We will not emerge from this transformation the same organization we were when we began. We must adapt and respond to constant shifts in areas such as technology, organizational structure, workforce, and the economy.
Transformational change is taking place at the national United Way level too. You’ve probably already noticed our revised logo and new tagline, which aptly states “Change starts here.” In the coming weeks, we’ll be introducing you to additional changes that reflect our new direction.
Throughout this process, we at United Way KW are committed to keeping the lines of communication open and to respecting the varied reactions and opinions of our stakeholders. What won’t change is our belief in the need to work together to keep our community and its social services healthy and strong over the long term.
You may recall that United Way KW celebrated its 70th anniversary earlier this year. I firmly believe that the fact that we’ve been around for so long is a testament to our willingness - and our ability - to transform in the face of significant change.
Jan
I wrote these words in a blog post last fall, and they merit repeating here as we at United Way KW find ourselves in the midst of transformational change. It’s something we've been working at for over 4 years since realizing that acting as a fundraising organization for approximately 42 agencies is no longer enough; we need to move to investing in long term, sustainable social change. Doing so requires not merely a few improvements here or there, but rather an all-encompassing shift to a new direction that impacts our strategies, our processes, our corporate culture, our mindset and, of course, our stakeholders.
Not only are staff roles and expectations changing, but those of our volunteers are too, as are our relationships with organizations, donors, and the programs and initiatives we support.
Not everyone reacts to change in the same way. Some stakeholders will embrace our new direction wholeheartedly, while others may feel discomfort and uncertainty. Resistance is a natural and expected reaction.
While it is inevitable that some folks will resist our changes, it is important to keep in mind the consequences of not changing. We must remember, too, that we did not enter into this decision lightly. In order to ensure that no one in our community gets left behind, we also need to make sure United Way doesn’t get left behind.
In the midst of uncertainty, one thing is for certain. We will not emerge from this transformation the same organization we were when we began. We must adapt and respond to constant shifts in areas such as technology, organizational structure, workforce, and the economy.
Transformational change is taking place at the national United Way level too. You’ve probably already noticed our revised logo and new tagline, which aptly states “Change starts here.” In the coming weeks, we’ll be introducing you to additional changes that reflect our new direction.
Throughout this process, we at United Way KW are committed to keeping the lines of communication open and to respecting the varied reactions and opinions of our stakeholders. What won’t change is our belief in the need to work together to keep our community and its social services healthy and strong over the long term.
You may recall that United Way KW celebrated its 70th anniversary earlier this year. I firmly believe that the fact that we’ve been around for so long is a testament to our willingness - and our ability - to transform in the face of significant change.
Jan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)