ANNUAL REPORT Report to Our Communities 2012 – 2013 Contents

ANNUAL REPORT Report to our communities 2012 – 2013 Contents Message From The Chair 3 Helping Each Other...The Northern Way 4 Pillars of Community 6 Management Summarization of Financial Statements 16 United Way of Northern BC Financials 17 Community Partners 18 Who We Are 26 2 unitedwaynbc.ca | 2012 - 2013 Annual Report Message From The Chair At the United Way of Northern BC our mission is to improve lives and build communities. Ultimately, we want to have a positive and lasting impact on the lives of people in Northern BC. The way we do this is to focus on building the capacity of communities and individuals to help themselves. We build pathways out of poverty, preparing children to succeed in life, and we engage and inspire people to care for one another. In doing so, we believe we are helping unlock the inherent value in people. The measureable result is thriving communities where everyone can realize their potential. I’m happy to say that, as we begin the next phase of our transformational change into an organization that focuses As we look ahead to 2014 and beyond, we will continue to employ rigorously on improving the common good, we are achieving evidence-based strategies to focus on increasing the capacity of our goals and moving in the right direction. community health and social service organizations. And we will You can hear it in the voices of the people we feature in this year’s provide funding to help them develop and implement programs annual report. These are stories of just a few of the thousands of and services for individuals and families. people affected by the work we do. The United Way of Northern We will prioritize community development to ensure we engage BC helps one in three people in Northern BC. key community partners in identifying local needs and making You can see it in the results we are achieving and the increasing appropriate community investments. Our locally-based staff and cohesiveness of programs and services available across the north. volunteers will help reinforce community-based strategies to With the foundations for success getting stronger with every address the needs of children and youth, seniors and those with year, we look forward to the coming years as we continue to physical and mental challenges, and individuals and families implement strategies that will have real value and impact in the living in poverty. communities of Northern BC. And we will implement a customer-driven communication model to ensure the public, community leaders, donors and funders are informed of the work to be done. As Chair of the Board of Directors, I want to recognize and thank the Board of Directors for their leadership and support, and all of the staff and volunteers at the United Way of Northern BC. I speak on behalf of all of us when I say that we are fortunate to have the kinds of people we do – community-minded citizens who dedicate their energies creating community partnerships, directing investment decisions, providing needed services, raising funds and, most importantly, helping individuals build better lives. Rob Jarvis, Chair Board of Directors 3 unitedwaynbc.ca | 2012 - 2013 Annual Report Helping Each Other 4 unitedwaynbc.ca | 2012 - 2013 Annual Report HELPING EACH OTHER… THE NORTHERN WAY OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE LIVES AND BUILD COMMUNITIES WE BUILD PATHWAYS OUT OF POVERTY, PREPARE CHILDREN TO SUCCEED IN LIFE, AND WE INSPIRE PEOPLE TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER. THREE PILLARS FROM POVERTY TO POSSIBILITY PILLAR 1 We help people who are struggling financially to get back on their feet. HEALTHY PEOPLE, STRONG COMMUNITIES PILLAR 2 We help people get healthy and stay healthy, physically and mentally. ALL THAT KIDS CAN BE PILLAR 3 We help kids get the education and opportunities they deserve. THE GOAL? To have a lasting, positive impact on the lives of people in Northern BC. WHAT ELSE? COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT We help communities develop strategies to address the needs they identify. ORGANIZATIONAL ENHANCEMENT We help not-for-profit organizations develop capacity to serve their communities effectively. 5 unitedwaynbc.ca | 2012 - 2013 Annual Report PILLARS OF COMMUNITY From Poverty to Possibility BETTY ANN’S STORY OVERVIEW There’s an old country song whose refrain is, “too much month at the end of the money.” By working with communities to Betty Ann knows the feeling. The Terrace resident used to dread the end of the month. identify needs, the United Way of With very little income to work with, and no one to show her how to manage her Northern BC helps people who finances, she usually ran out of groceries before her next paycheque. may be struggling financially do the things necessary to get back on their “I was having big problems,” says Betty Ann. “I was broke and I’d hardly have any feet and support themselves. groceries in the house.” That all changed after she took advantage of the Food 4 Thought program, supported by the United Way of Northern BC. The Terrace and District Community Services Society runs the program for families and individuals struggling with ways to feed themselves in a healthy and sustainable manner. The program teaches nutrition and cooking, as well as how to stretch a budget while still eating healthy food. “They taught me stuff I didn’t know much about – how to budget, how to cook to last, how to buy to save money,” says Betty Ann. “Now I’m able to buy groceries, and I’m also actually able to buy things I need for the house.” The program also connects participants with other programs in the community that help all citizens gain access to the necessary tools for an affordable and healthy diet. By providing the support people need to meet their basic needs, the United Way is helping them build their lives as active and contributing members of their communities. 6 unitedwaynbc.ca | 2012 - 2013 Annual Report GOALS To enable people who are living in poverty to obtain services that provide basic needs like food clothing and shelter and medical care and legal support to help them build a better life, STRATEGIES United Way of Northern BC helps provide access to critical community health and social services that support individuals and families that are hungry, homeless or unemployed. But we also go beyond responding to the symptoms of poverty by investing in research and programs that address the underlying root causes. RESULTS SNAPSHOT 16,000 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2013 United Way of Northern BC invested in programs in communities throughout Northern BC that The Living Wage Project helped over 16,000 people when In cooperation with the University of Northern British Columbia, United they needed it most. The programs Way completed a “Living Wage” analysis which revealed that a family of four enable people to obtain food and living in Prince George required more than $60,000 per year to meet basic life skills. food clothing and shelter needs. United Way services are developed to support families as they strive to make a living wage. Poverty Reduction Community Action Team $350,000 The Union of BC Municipalities and the Ministry for Children and Family United Way of Northern BC was Development put together a team to address poverty in Prince George. selected as the Community Entity United Way of Northern BC was invited to be part of the team. We host the for the homelessness projects in community poverty reduction consultant who leads the team, with in-kind Prince George, managing more office and administrative support. than $350,000 in investments with community agencies addressing homelessness. 7 unitedwaynbc.ca | 2012 - 2013 Annual Report Healthy People, Strong Communities CELINE’S STORY OVERVIEW Maintaining a connection to one’s friends and neighbours can provide the lamp that Connected communities involve lights the way through often long and dark winters, especially in Northern BC. all citizens, regardless of age or Everyone needs the company of other people once in a while. Science has shown the circumstance. We believe we can value of human interaction to our physical and mental well-being. all learn from each other, and by doing so, become stronger together. You don’t have to tell Celine Bedard that, though. The United Way of Northern BC Two decades after moving to Fort Nelson, and three years into retirement, Celine has helps people and families get the discovered the value the Fort Nelson Lamplighters Drop-In Program can bring to the health and social services they need lives of seniors in this Northern community. to stay strong and connected to She and her husband attend the community drop-in program as frequently as possible, their communities. whether to attend information sessions, monthly dinners, or just to share a puzzle-making session. It helps them get out of the house and stay connected with their community, says Celine. “It gives seniors a place to go. A lot of them live in the seniors’ home, and maybe don’t have a lot of visitors, so it gives them something to do.” And with the support of the United Way of Northern BC, Lamplighters will be expanding its schedule from two days to five days a week, offering scheduled activities, weekly lunches, information sessions, dance lessons, choir, musical nights, bingo, summer BBQs and movie nights five days a week. 8 unitedwaynbc.ca | 2012 - 2013 Annual Report RESULTS SNAPSHOT 500 Volunteers carry much of the load in delivering the work we do and helping with our annual fundraising campaign. Over 500 volunteers contributed to these efforts. 3,000 The United Way of Northern BC depends on the generosity of Northern BC residents.

Load more