It was paradox week at the United Way this week.
Wednesday was the first planning meeting for Winterama 2008. Winterama is a snowshoeing-skiing-snowmobiling-skating event that takes place in Shallow Lake, the weekend after Wiarton Willie Weekend. It involves 5 area Rotary Clubs: Hepworth-Shallow Lake, Wiarton, Port Elgin, Southampton and Tara. Together they plan and support this 'athon event.
The United Way has been fortunate to be able to partner with the Rotarians and receives 50% of the net proceeds, in 2006, our first event we received just over $10 000, in 2007 the amount jumped to over $16 000.
The Rotarians stipulated that the United Way use 100% of the funds to youth and child related programs.
Which brings me to the second axis of the paradox. While Wednesday was the first planning meeting, Friday was the deadline for United Way funded agencies to apply for the funds that were raised in 2007.
So we plan for the next event, we get to play with the previous event's success.
The funds have been placed into the United Way's Rotary Children's Fund. This fund is a way for United Way agencies to access additional funds, and to create programs that they always "wished" for, but never had the opportunity.
Watch this space for the list of successful programs late October.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
PRANCE needs volunteers
P.R.A.N.C.E.
Pegasus Riding Association Nurturing Challenged Equestrians operates out of Port Elgin and services southern Bruce County from Kincardine over to Walkerton and areas in between. The program assists challenged individuals with therapeutic horse riding programs. The United Way will be assisting with support staff and summer programming.
Hello to all,
Sorry about this mass email. The annual PRANCE ride-a-thon is coming up very quick in fact Saturday to be exact. Jenn, Kathy, and myself are wondering if you could spare a few hours to give us a hand. The time of the event is 11-3 but we also need help on the Friday, and all through the day on Saturday from 8-5 Please respond to this email my address is hlrichardson@sympatico.ca . Please respond either way.
Please address it in the following manner
1) Who you are
2) time available
3) What you would like to do ( leader, sidewalker, arena crew, food booth, parking)
I thank you very much for reading the email. Hope to see you all there on Saturday!!!
Thanks again,
Heather Richardson
weekend barn rat
Pegasus Riding Association Nurturing Challenged Equestrians operates out of Port Elgin and services southern Bruce County from Kincardine over to Walkerton and areas in between. The program assists challenged individuals with therapeutic horse riding programs. The United Way will be assisting with support staff and summer programming.
Hello to all,
Sorry about this mass email. The annual PRANCE ride-a-thon is coming up very quick in fact Saturday to be exact. Jenn, Kathy, and myself are wondering if you could spare a few hours to give us a hand. The time of the event is 11-3 but we also need help on the Friday, and all through the day on Saturday from 8-5 Please respond to this email my address is hlrichardson@sympatico.ca . Please respond either way.
Please address it in the following manner
1) Who you are
2) time available
3) What you would like to do ( leader, sidewalker, arena crew, food booth, parking)
I thank you very much for reading the email. Hope to see you all there on Saturday!!!
Thanks again,
Heather Richardson
weekend barn rat
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Backpack wrap up
561
That's the number we're sitting at right now. Five hundred and sixty-one! That's a lot of school supplies.
One moment I'm celebrating the next I'm totally appalled. Celebrating the donations and support of the community, appalled at the massive need.
So many people to thank:
- Grey Owen Sound Children's Aid who, upon filling their own need, sent resources our way.
- Bell Canada; the crew around the corner with 17 fully stocked and 16 empty backpacks
- Giant Tiger; Joel and the crew made me believe we could do this - donated 104 backpacks
- Business Depot; filled my car with donated supplies and let me purchase over the limit on many items (the flyer says "limit 6 per customer" - I go and buy 57)
- Wal-Mart; for allowing us to the park the bus at the store, sponsoring the radio outreach, letting me take over a cashier for 30 minutes at a time AND for a $2 000 matching donation!!!! Which will pull my over all budget back in line, having gone $2000 over budget (with permission from the board).
- Mix 106; the whole gang at Bayshore Broadcasting for getting behind this program and making the need known to the community.
- Hobart Food Equipment; a donation of $250
- Donors; to all our donors who increased their annual United Way donation to support what we were trying to do
I know I'm missing a few but please do not be offended, I need to sit down and review the whole program so we can plan for next year, and truly thank everyone properly.
That's the number we're sitting at right now. Five hundred and sixty-one! That's a lot of school supplies.
One moment I'm celebrating the next I'm totally appalled. Celebrating the donations and support of the community, appalled at the massive need.
So many people to thank:
- Grey Owen Sound Children's Aid who, upon filling their own need, sent resources our way.
- Bell Canada; the crew around the corner with 17 fully stocked and 16 empty backpacks
- Giant Tiger; Joel and the crew made me believe we could do this - donated 104 backpacks
- Business Depot; filled my car with donated supplies and let me purchase over the limit on many items (the flyer says "limit 6 per customer" - I go and buy 57)
- Wal-Mart; for allowing us to the park the bus at the store, sponsoring the radio outreach, letting me take over a cashier for 30 minutes at a time AND for a $2 000 matching donation!!!! Which will pull my over all budget back in line, having gone $2000 over budget (with permission from the board).
- Mix 106; the whole gang at Bayshore Broadcasting for getting behind this program and making the need known to the community.
- Hobart Food Equipment; a donation of $250
- Donors; to all our donors who increased their annual United Way donation to support what we were trying to do
I know I'm missing a few but please do not be offended, I need to sit down and review the whole program so we can plan for next year, and truly thank everyone properly.
So terrible....
....at posting here!
When it gets too busy to tell everyone it's busy; it's too busy.
Kitty and Calli have settled in and are a wonderful addition to the office environment. They even started playing this week which truly shows how much they feel at home. They tend to hide when new people come into the building but if you start talking at them as soon as you see them, they halt their flight and will come and say hello.
The Linux Users Group has been working on refurbishing more computers and a massive donation was dropped off last week. This prompted an examination of the space available and a trip to Canadian Tire for shelving. This then prompted a clearing out of all things that annoyed me and we put 3 desks, 2 tables and a chair out for Owen Sound's "Goods Exchange Day". A day where you put out what you don't want by the curb, and people come and get what they want; like a free garage sale. By noon Saturday we were down to one desk and one table left!!
When it gets too busy to tell everyone it's busy; it's too busy.
Kitty and Calli have settled in and are a wonderful addition to the office environment. They even started playing this week which truly shows how much they feel at home. They tend to hide when new people come into the building but if you start talking at them as soon as you see them, they halt their flight and will come and say hello.
The Linux Users Group has been working on refurbishing more computers and a massive donation was dropped off last week. This prompted an examination of the space available and a trip to Canadian Tire for shelving. This then prompted a clearing out of all things that annoyed me and we put 3 desks, 2 tables and a chair out for Owen Sound's "Goods Exchange Day". A day where you put out what you don't want by the curb, and people come and get what they want; like a free garage sale. By noon Saturday we were down to one desk and one table left!!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Housing the homeless
In a region where we've lost our Men's Shelter, and our Women's Shelters try and help the homeless as much as they can, our animals do have a few shelters to try and start life all over again.
The Owen Sound Animal Shelter is one such place, and I've spent wayyyyy too much time there, as I now have personally adopted 4 shelter cats, all with their own story and special needs.
I'm a sucker for a hard luck story. Besides my almost grown kids tell me they take a few with them when they move our and start lives of their own. At which point I'll have empty bedrooms and who knows who'll start camping out here after that.
One trip out to the shelter introduced me to 2 lovely ladies - Kitty and Calli. Two older calico sisters, 11 and 12 years of age. Not good for finding homes, too old, plus as sisters, they've been together forever and separating them would be cruel.
Now we've joked around the office about having a cat, well we did it, we now have two!!!!
They only arrived Tuesday afternoon so they are very shy right now, but do come out and visit during the day. Calli is very talkative and Kitty's just taking it easy right now, and playing it quiet.
It is our hope that they will add to the calming nature of our office, helping those in distress to relax and take deep breaths.
You can read more about them on the shelter blog here
The Owen Sound Animal Shelter is one such place, and I've spent wayyyyy too much time there, as I now have personally adopted 4 shelter cats, all with their own story and special needs.
I'm a sucker for a hard luck story. Besides my almost grown kids tell me they take a few with them when they move our and start lives of their own. At which point I'll have empty bedrooms and who knows who'll start camping out here after that.
One trip out to the shelter introduced me to 2 lovely ladies - Kitty and Calli. Two older calico sisters, 11 and 12 years of age. Not good for finding homes, too old, plus as sisters, they've been together forever and separating them would be cruel.
Now we've joked around the office about having a cat, well we did it, we now have two!!!!
They only arrived Tuesday afternoon so they are very shy right now, but do come out and visit during the day. Calli is very talkative and Kitty's just taking it easy right now, and playing it quiet.
It is our hope that they will add to the calming nature of our office, helping those in distress to relax and take deep breaths.
You can read more about them on the shelter blog here
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