Funded Partner Announcement The United Way of PEI has announced that it will be investing $670,000 of funding in 13 organizations over two years to support critical work being done to reduce the impacts of local poverty. This funding investment is made possible thanks to the generous contributions of United Way of PEI donors. These grants support the United Way’s goals of helping children and youth thrive both in and out of school, supporting individuals struggling with homelessness, improving the mental health of the province’s most vulnerable individuals and families, and creating strong inclusive communities where everyone can thrive. Recipients of the funding include PEERS Alliance, Blooming House, BGC Prince County, BGC Charlottetown, PEI Literacy Alliance, PEI Family Violence Prevention Services, Family Service PEI, Big Brothers Big Sisters PEI, Sierra Club (Wild Child PEI), BIPOC USHR in partnership with Cooper Institute, and South East Environmental Association in partnership with Friendly Circle Seniors Club Murray Harbour. “PEI has faced some extreme challenges over the past three years, which have exacerbated social issues related to poverty and shone a light on the growing needs in our community,” says Lea Bryden, Board President, United Way of PEI. “So many people are struggling, and United Way is working hard to ensure there is a strong social safety net in place to help. We are so grateful to all our donors whose support of United Way allows us to make this very significant investment in Island communities.” Organizations have received multi-year funding to begin in April 2024. In addition to program funding, United Way of PEI has introduced an operational funding stream to support the health and sustainability of its partner organizations. “We have seen and heard from many local nonprofits and charities that there is a drastic need for operational funding support, which can be very difficult to access,” shares Andrea Macdonald, CEO of United Way of PEI. “This new operational funding stream will provide secure and flexible funding to better support operations so that charities can focus their time and energy on what they do best: helping Islanders and strengthening our communities.” In addition to funding, United Way of PEI will support all recipients by providing training, and professional development opportunities, and will work with them to measure the individual and collective impact of their work. UWPEI Funded Partners and Programs : Sierra Club of PEI: PEI Wild Child Forest School Program is a recreational program designed to connect kids with nature using a child-led, play-based, inquiry-driven approach that will build resilience and confidence, develop peer connections and friendships, and improve mental and physical well-being. United Way of PEI funding will reduce the barriers for low-income families, enabling them to participate in this program for free. Big Brothers Big Sisters PEI: Through the Teen Mentoring Program, elementary school children who experience poverty, are newcomers to the community, have physical, intellectual, or emotional challenges, or are marginalized and simply need a friend to connect with are matched with a Teen Mentor for one hour per week during the school year. Mentors help boost confidence while encouraging achievement at school and attaining positive personal relationships. Teens develop leadership skills that help them in their transition to adulthood. PEI Family Violence Prevention Services: Funding will support the work of FVPS in helping individuals who need safety because of violence in their lives. This includes the operation of Anderson House (provincial emergency shelter for women, trans, and non-binary individuals, and their children) as well as outreach services, system navigation, and housing support. PEERS Alliance: Rainbow Youth Club, funded by the United Way of PEI, is a low-barrier social support initiative designed to promote community connection, community leadership, resiliency, and psychosocial well-being among 2SLGBTQ+ identified youth and youth allies. Group meetings are currently held in Summerside, Montague, and Charlottetown. Blooming House: Funding from the United Way will support women in accessing housing, treatment, and community resources to minimize the risk of chronic homelessness and ensure a successful transition into permanent housing. Staff work closely with community partners and the Coordinated Access program to meet the diverse needs of women at Blooming House. PEI Literacy Alliance: United Way funding will help children gain the literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills they need to address their learning challenges by providing a free summer tutoring program for children who are struggling with reading, writing, and math. BGC Charlottetown: BGC Charlottetown’s goal is to empower children and youth to realize their potential and strive to achieve their dreams regardless of their current life situation. United Way funding will help to remove barriers and provide high-quality, educationally, socially, and recreationally based programming to all children ages 5-14 regardless of household income. BGC Prince County: United Way funding will support BGC Prince County to provide engaging programming for children 4-12 with a focus on healthy living, education, physical activity, and creative expression, and for youth 12-18 with a focus on leadership, recreational, creative, and educational opportunities. BIPOC USHR & Cooper Institute: Supporting BIPOC Communities is a new project and partnership between BIPOC USHR and Cooper Institute. The project aims to build stronger, healthier, and more resilient BIPOC communities by increasing community trust, sense of belonging, networking, capacity, and connections across PEI. Southeast Environmental Association + Friendly Circle Seniors Club Murray Harbour: This unique partnership between the Southeast Environmental Association and the Friendly Circle Seniors Club of Murray Harbour aims to bring together seniors through a community-led project to increase food security and connection among isolated seniors from rural communities. The community garden in Murray Harbour recently installed eight newly elevated garden beds for seniors with mobility issues. Food and preserves derived from the garden will be shared with isolated seniors identified through community partners and will provide an opportunity to engage and reduce barriers (including transportation) of the identified seniors to take part in community garden programming moving forward. Family Service PEI: Funding will increase the capacity of Family Service PEI (PEI’s only community-based counseling service) and will support the subsidy model which allows Islanders, who would have otherwise been unable to pay, to access therapeutic counseling services. While the organization serves all ages, Family Service PEI has identified that funding will specifically support increased access for children and youth to address challenges that impact their mental and emotional well-being including: Increase in instances of anxiety and depression Stigma, discrimination, bullying Social isolation Parenting/family dynamics Cost of living/financial impacts on families Global concerns: climate #J-18808-Ljbffr