United Way kicks off annual campaign in the face of dynamic challenges
NANAIMO — A local charity which helps more than 40,000 people in the region is evolving in the face of more challenging issues than ever before.
United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island kicked-off their annual fundraising campaign in Nanaimo on Friday, with a goal of beating last year’s total of $1.2 million. Nanaimo businesses and residents contributed $750,000 towards that total in 2016.
UWCNVI executive director Signey Madden said their charity is known for raising money but they’re now focusing more on working with local governments, RCMP and other agencies to develop long term solutions to persistent problems.
“United Way is evolving. We’ve had to change because many people in our community are doing well but a good segment in our population is living in poverty and we’ve got to support them or it affects all of our quality of life.”