From Homelessness to Hope
At 19, Shayla became a mom. But after arguments with her own mother escalated, the teen had to leave her infant daughter behind, move out and soon had nowhere to go.
“Things fell apart pretty quickly,” she told us.
For years, Shayla drifted between couches, shelters, and the street. She became addicted to drugs and lost contact with her daughter. Worst of all, she lost hope.
“I never thought I would get out of it. I didn’t think I deserved it.”
Then Shayla found out she was pregnant again—and everything changed.
“I just knew I had to change things. As soon as I found out, I stopped using. I wanted to have a healthy baby.”
Getting clean was the first step. Finding stable housing was harder. Shayla called shelters, desperate for a place to stay.
“There was no room. I was terrified I wasn’t going to have a home for her when she was born.”
United Way funds programs that provide both immediate needs and long-term solutions for people experiencing homelessness. Shayla connected with a caring housing worker through a United Way-funded program at London Cares.
Shayla, participant at London Cares, Housing Stability Program
Just to know that you have somebody there to support you and have your back …it means a lot. If I didn’t have that, I don’t think I would have made it this far on my own.”
Learning from Lived Experience
We prioritize supporting programs that incorporate the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’. This principle recognizes that individuals with lived experience and/or current program participants know what is best for themselves and their community, and that their participation is integral to the success of the program.
Marc Henderson, now an Outreach worker at the United Way-funded London Cares went from being a service user to launching a career in a field that lets him give back. “When you give people an opportunity to do well, when you give people an opportunity to feel loved and cared for… they can achieve all the things that you doubt they could. At one point, I was that person you’d have thought was hopeless. For me to be standing here today proves that theory and that thought completely wrong.”
United Way-funded agency Street Level Women at Risk emphasizes that the whole program is informed by women with lived experience. “They know the barriers and understand the system in a way others can’t,” she says. “Their input is woven into every aspect of the program, from planning to implementation.”
We tackle poverty so that everyone in our region has a fair shot at a good life.
When people have inequitable access to basic needs like food and shelter or struggle to find work, they face significant barriers to stability, security, and a better future.
Poverty to Possibility
Our investments prioritize tackling poverty and serving those people most affected by social challenges in our region. Our funding focuses on supporting urgent needs and promoting independence and long-term financial stability.
Because of your support
351
clients were able to maintain their housing with support through housing stability programs
227,827
meals and snacks were provided
230
trips were provided through rural
transportation programs in
the county
Strong Communities
In every community, there are individuals and families that need support, people who face barriers to services or resources, and those who are socially excluded based on their identity, gender, race, age, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, ability, or economic status. We support personal well-being and strengthen communities by investing in community mental health supports & services, neighbourhood & community development and programs that address gender-based violence and ensure wellbeing & resilience for all.
Because of your support
3,795
people accessed mental health and counselling services.
227,827
meals and snacks were provided
230
trips were provided through rural
transportation programs in
the county
All That Kids Can Be
In a community where everyone matters, we all deserve a good start. We all want to feel welcomed and supported through transitions so we can succeed, contribute, and thrive. For some local kids, growing up isn’t easy. Challenges can begin before a child even steps into school for the first time.
Addressing issues and building support systems for people early on helps prevent problems from becoming more complex in the future. Also, it makes financial sense, investing early on costs far less than more complicated solutions later.
Because of your support
3,603
children and youth participated in mentoring, recreation and social programs.
997
children and youth increased their literacy and numeracy skills.
3,359
children and youth gained access to healthy food.
Positive Parenting
“This program helped me understand how to better communicate with my children. I’ve learned how to navigate parenting in a new culture.”
– Oluwabunmi Oloniyo, Program participant, WeBridge “Let’s ParenTogether” Program
80% of parents in this program noted improvement in communication with their kids. Many also reported reduced feelings of burnout and stress, and increased awareness about recognizing early signs of mental health issues in children.
Rural Connection
United Way Elgin Middlesex is strengthening rural communities through Community Impact Advisory Committees in Aylmer and Strathroy-Caradoc. These committees unite local leaders, service providers, and residents to identify critical service gaps and prioritize community-driven solutions. United Way is already working on developing services to support priorities identified by each community: Housing in Strathroy-Caradoc; and in Aylmer, access to essential youth services and food security.
Advocacy: Amplifying Voices for Systemic Change
United Way Elgin Middlesex leverages its community knowledge and partnerships to advocate for policy changes that address root causes of poverty and inequality. Through collaborative advocacy with United Ways across Ontario and Canada, we champion evidence-based solutions that create lasting systemic change.
This year, we joined United Ways province-wide in calling for scaled-up supportive housing and mental health supports to address homelessness, we advocated to have intimate partner violence declared an epidemic in Ontario through Bill 173, and called on governments to respond to uncertainty around tariffs and global uncertainty by making strategic investments in community services to shore up our economic resilience.
Special events, partnerships and workplace campaigns help us connect with and inspire the broader community.
Thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers like you,
we invested $5.5 Million in our community
We couldn’t support thousands of people across our community without the dedication of literally thousands of volunteers and donors. To our board of directors, campaign cabinet, API and allocations committees, special event volunteers, individual and corporate donors, sponsors, community partners, and everyone else who makes our work possible—thank you.
“At the end of the day… you can feel very satisfied that you’ve done the best job to support the very best programs that are going to make the greatest impact.”
– Karen Dalton, Volunteer, Agency Partnerships & Investment Committee
Together, we’re creating lasting change.
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