“People give me hope. During the pandemic, we heard so many stories about everyone digging deep to support their neighbours. We have a lot of compassionate people in this community who are willing to step up.”

Alyson Paisley
VP, Direct Distribution, Intact Financial Corporation
United Way 2022 Campaign Chair

Throughout the uncertainty of the past two years, Alyson Paisley says she noticed one constant: people willing to step up for those in need. Now, as the mother of three takes on a new career role as VP of Direct Distribution at Intact Financial Corporation, she is stepping up to lead the region’s most important fundraising initiative as the United Way Elgin Middlesex 2022 Campaign Chair. And what an exciting time to do that, with the return to in-person 3M Harvest Lunch & United Way Campaign Launch. While she knows the pandemic has left many feeling call-to-action fatigue, Alyson says she continues to be inspired by the local love that unites this community.

Looking back on the past few years, what gives you hope for our community?

People give me hope. Do you remember, at the beginning of the pandemic, when people were leaving painted rocks with notes to lift your spirits? My kids and I would go for walks, and they were everywhere. It was a lovely show of community. 

During the pandemic, we heard so many stories about people checking in on each other when things were shut down, people getting groceries for their elderly and vulnerable neighbours. People personally impacted by COVID-19, were still digging deep to support their community. And organizations stepped up—they went to unrestricted giving to give charities the flexibility to use their corporate donations to deal with new issues that emerged during the pandemic.

We have a lot of compassionate people in this community who are willing to step up and care for others.

What are some of the challenges this particular Campaign is facing, and how can the Campaign Cabinet overcome them?

Fatigue is a big one. People are tired of talking about the pandemic, tired of the calls-to-action over the last couple of years. Finding a strong call-to-action that inspires people might be our toughest challenge.

But when I look at this year’s Cabinet committee, I see a diverse group of energetic people who want to drive change. The concept of the Cabinet is building relationships to help fill needs of the community.

Relationships are at the core of what makes us successful. So when we talk about the activities needed for a successful Campaign, I’m looking at it through the lens of building relationships.

Do you have a story about giving back to the community? How did it make you feel? 

I volunteered at a community meal program in London with a group of co-workers. We worked with the team cooking and serving meals, and I walked away feeling deeply thankful for the community around me and the people who do this every day.

Another thing that resonated with me that day was that people in need come from all walks of life, they are just in a moment when they need support. As a community, we need to make sure we are there to provide that support.

So many of us have been dealing with new challenges since the pandemic. What challenges have you personally overcome and how can that help you as Campaign chair?  

I had a difficult period over the last two years. I had to support a family member going through a significant health crisis in the height of the lockdown—and we couldn’t be together.

I learned a lot about the importance of listening. There were things I couldn’t control, but I could listen and be a shoulder for this family member. That experience gave me an understanding about how when people are going through a difficult time, they need a safety net of folks to be their shoulder.

Sometimes you get caught up in the technical effort of trying to raise the funds, but you lose sight of why. My experience the last couple of years keeps reminding me of the “why.” I think that since the pandemic, a lot of us have a new appreciation for how we can all help support each other and how we can all make a difference. The people in our community are the “why” for what we do here, and I want to keep them at the heart of this campaign.

What does this Campaign mean to the team at Intact? 

One of Intact’s values is generosity to help build resilient communities. Through the annual Generosity in Action campaign, the foundation matches employee donations to United Way. The organization does a fantastic job of getting teams excited about that. I chaired the campaign last year and it was exciting to see all these people who are busy with their jobs and lives making time to put passion and energy into it.

After two years of pandemic United Way Campaigns, what can we look forward to this year?  

I’m excited about going back to in-person events, starting with 3M Harvest Lunch & United Way Campaign Launch in September. This community should be proud of the way people stepped up to support each other in new ways during the pandemic. We did what we needed to do. Going online was a great way to keep helping, but virtual interactions can sometimes feel transactional. I’m so happy that this year we get to be around people again to work together as a team and as a community. It’s just super exciting.