All welcome, all belong

The #LoveLove Letter, United Way Elgin Middlesex

local news with impact

Kelly Ziegner, President & CEO United Way Elgin Middlesex

On my way through the door at work this morning, I passed by the #AllAreWelcomeHere sign on our office lawn. 

Part of an international movement and a local initiative through the London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership of which we are an active member, #AllAreWelcomeHere is also an important touchstone in the daily work of United Way. It’s more than a tagline; it underpins our core belief that everyone in this community matters and belongs. 

Our goal: to center equity and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples at the heart of all we do to reduce and prevent poverty. It’s through this lens that we continually review our work and operations to ensure that our policies, procedures and practices equitably reflect the aspirations and needs of our community.  

An example of this work in action is our new granting model, designed to be more inclusive and to prioritize equity-deserving populations who are disproportionately affected by social challenges in our region.   

We aim to do more, and better.  

“Real change will happen when we prioritize the voices of those who are most affected by the problems we wish to solve,” says Jessica Brown, who recently joined us for a five-month paid role as an equity strategy intern, through Western University’s Black Leadership University Experience (BLUE) program. 

Jessica has been helping us increase United Way’s outreach in our diverse community and think more intentionally about how we tell our community’s stories.  

We’re grateful for her insights, and you can hear more from Jessica in her own words in this Q&A.

So what does all this have to do with you and me? 

For starters, we hope you see yourself in United Way, too.  

And we hope you see your neighbours, friends, newcomers, people on the margins in a kinder light – as folks like you who belong here and who, also like you, deserve their best chance at a good life.  

May we all see welcome signs as a start, not an end, of the journey.

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Trusted partners in funding  –– We received 58 excellent community applications seeking grants, through the new federal Community Services Recovery Fund, for urgent and emerging local program/service needs. An independent team of skilled volunteers is evaluating each one, with decisions expected at the end of May. For urgent and emerging local program/service needs. An independent team is evaluating each one, with decisions expected at the end of May.

Purpleandproud partners –– Western University’s purple pride is imbued with a whole lot of United Way red. We celebrate our partnerships, including Western’s contributions that now top the $15-million mark.

Advocacy in action –– As the provincial government prepared its 2023 budget, United Ways across Ontario weighed in collectively to champion community services, affordable housing and more employment opportunities. It’s one way we stand up for more equitable communities.

211 is here for you –– If you need help for you or a loved one, call 211 to speak to a Navigator who can connect you to information, programs and services close to home. Free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in over 150 languages by phone, live chat and email.