Cambridge Community Spotlight: United Way of Cambridge and North Dumfries

Continuing with our Cambridge Community Spotlight today we shine the light on United Way of Cambridge and North Dumfries. United Way is a long standing community organization with roots going back as far as 1917. I had the pleasure of meeting up with Amanda Melnick, Director of Resource Development, to dig deeper into what United Way is and just how it impacts the community of Cambridge and North Dumfries.

Me: I think it's safe to say everyone has heard of the United Way. I would also wager many couldn't easily say what it is you do. So what is it you do? 

Amanda: To put it simply, we are a community organization. There are a couple of sides to our work and to be honest we've changed what we do over the past 10 years and I think that’s where a bit of the confusion comes in. We are a lot more than just fundraising these days.  A big part of what we do is being a vehicle for people to make a difference in ways that work for them, whether that be through giving money, time or other resources. We work with hundreds of volunteers to raise over $2 million every year to put back into programs and services that directly impact over 51,000 people of all ages right here in our community. 

Me: WOW, that is a lot of people you directly impact. Does United Way do this all on their own?

Amanda: We work with both agencies and local businesses of all sizes to make a difference in our community. We recognize that this work can’t be done alone and so we work as sort of a hub to make change possible. What I mean by ‘hub’ is that we work with a variety of different groups, our partner agencies, local businesses of all sizes, volunteers, our volunteer centre members, community members, etc. and help to connect one another to make an impact. We also focus on 4 key areas: Kids, Poverty, Community and Volunteerism. By focusing our efforts this way we get a holistic approach to community building. This is an important approach since often when you find yourself in a tough situation more than one service is needed to help you and your family get to where you need to be. 

Me: With that kind or reach you must touch people that may not even know it. How does the United Way impact me and my family? 

Amanda: With 1 in 3 residents of Cambridge & North Dumfries being impacted by a United Way supported service you can bet that you know someone who has been given an opportunity made possible by United Way. We also operate the community’s volunteer centre and are making volunteer matches for people every day.We all want to live in a healthy and vibrant community and United Way’s approach to community building is designed to accomplish just that with our focus areas and strong relationships across the community. 

Me: I believe in volunteering. It is something important to me and my family. Not everyone has the time to do it. How can people support the United Way? 

Amanda: There are a number of ways that you can support United Way:

• If your workplace runs a United Way campaign you can get involved in organizing that or just take part in the activities your co-workers have planned.

• If your organization doesn't run a campaign you could always look at starting one. Running a campaign is a great way to bring a workplace closer together as you work to give back to the community.

• You can contribute a financial donation online, over the phone or in person at our office.

• You can volunteer in our community. United Way runs the Cambridge & North Dumfries volunteer centre and we have a wide variety of positions just waiting to be filled. If your team at work is looking for a new team building activity we also plan group volunteering.

• One of the most helpful things that someone can do to support United Way is to share the stories that are happening in the community because of the work of United Way and our partner agencies. Education and awareness are key to creating a strong community.

Me: We are just heading into the spring, a time when people are getting more active in the community. What does United Way have on the radar for 2015 that we can watch out for? 

Amanda: 2015 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for us. We are going to be focusing on getting more stories out to the community about the great things that are happening right under our noses. We are carrying our Community Superhero theme through to this year and plan on having some more fun with that.We are already setting up our next round of Days of Caring where a company sends out a team for a group volunteering opportunity. That’s one trend we’re seeing with employee engagement here locally, an expanded interest in these sorts of opportunities, which we are more than happy to help set up. It’s always fantastic to get an opportunity to share the good work of our partners.

I really enjoyed getting to know more about UW and seeing Amanda's passion for the community. If you are looking for inspiration to do something, find a volunteer or someone dedicated to working in the community and ask them why they do it. You will be inspired for sure. Have a watch of the video and then give something. Time. Money. Hope.

United Way of Cambridge and North Dumfries Facebook Page

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