UNITED WAY AND UNION GAS TEAM UP FOR 2007-2008 WINTER WARMTH FUND

Fund release: Owen Sound December 3, 2007 – United Way and Union Gas today announced the 2006-2007 Winter Warmth Fund, providing financial assistance to low-income families and individuals struggling to pay their heating and hydro bills.

The fund was initially established in Toronto during the winter of 2004 and has expanded to include five utilities, local United Ways and community agencies throughout Ontario. The five utility companies – Enbridge Gas Distribution, Enersource Corporation, Hydro Ottawa, Toronto Hydro and Union Gas Limited – will combine efforts with United Way to coordinate the fund through over 45 community agencies across the province.

Funds for the annual program are contributed by the participating utility companies and are available to their eligible customers.

In the winter of 2006-7 The United Way assisted 19 households representing 21 adults and 20 children with their Union Gas utility bill, in addition many were referred to other resources in the community. “This program helps families that have hit a “bump in the road” explained United Way of Bruce Grey Executive Director Francesca Dobbyn. The ability to sustain the utility payment after the ‘hand-up” is a requirement of the program. “We had people who had unexpected car repair bills, children with medical needs and such” added Dobbyn.

“Union Gas is pleased to work with the United Way again this year to deliver the Winter Warmth Fund to communities across our service territory,” said Greg Ebel, President of Union Gas Limited. “This is one of the many initiatives through which Union Gas gives back to the community.”

How the Fund Works

Families and individuals needing financial assistance to pay their heating and hydro bills can find information about the Winter Warmth Fund at the United Way of Bruce Grey

After a successful application process, one-time funding will be credited directly to the applicant’s utilities account.

Eligibility

Eligible grant recipients include low-income households who are in arrears or at risk of going into arrears on their energy bills and have exhausted all other sources of financial support.

Customers can contact the United Way to determine funding eligibility and to submit an application. The United Way can be reached at 519 376 1560 Monday to Friday 8:30 – 4:30, or on site at the United Way Centre at 380 9th Street East Owen Sound

For further information: United Way of Bruce Grey 519 376 1560

December 6th Remembered

Fourteen young women were killed at l’ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, December 6th, 1989 by a gunman who segregated them by their gender. That event in our Canadian history brought home the face of violence against women in our own country. That day has become a National Day for Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Women’s Reach is a group of women, providing advocacy and support to sexual violence survivors in Grey and Bruce counties. Hazel Pratt of the group says, “Our commitment is to encourage and empower women to become self-advocates for their needs as survivors of sexual violence”. Women’s Reach is organizing a memorial event for 7:00 pm December 6th in the Saugeen Villa Sunshine Room at The Village Seniors’ Community in Hanover. A short program of music and words of remembrance with guest speaker Bonita Johnson-deMatteis of the Nemesis Group Services will be held with refreshments to follow. All are welcome to participate and attend.

For more information about the December 6th event in Hanover, contact Christine Forand at 519-369-1440 or
Hazel Pratt at 519-363-3167.


Thank you for your attention to this important day

Christine Forand
Hazel Pratt

Catching up

It's been busy, in the past 2 weeks I've been to London, Hanover, Collingwood, Walkerton, Kincardine and Toronto for a couple of days. I'm getting behind on a few things and blogging here is one of the things that gets pushed to the side when it gets this busy. But here's a 'catch-up' of what's going on.

A Christmas Carol

Sunday November 25th, 3 pm

Few events hosted by CBC Radio are as eagerly anticipated or as warmly
received as the readings of A Christmas Carol. The readings bring together
the pleasure of hearing a good story, the joy of music of the season, and
the inspired energy of those who want to make their community a better
place.

The 2006 Christmas Carol was a complete success. Over $205,000.00 was
raised! We thank all those communities that helped carry on this CBC
tradition.

For the last 17 years the Christmas Carol has benefited shelters, food
banks, libraries and hospitals across Canada, and brought joy to the
communities that support them. Congratulations on helping make a difference
this season.

Benefiting Keystone Child Youth and Family Services: All proceeds will go
towards the WRAP discretionary fund which will serve the clients directly.

$10 admission

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,
Ring ting tingling too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you

Old-Fashioned Sleigh Ride JOIN SANTA ON

Saturday December 15, 2007

Meet Local Teams and Drivers in parade and at work in a special “All Breeds” Drive.

Choose one of the different Breeds of Heavy Horses/Mules including:

Jim Merriam with his Mule Team
Ross Trask and his Clydesdales
Don Roi and the Suffolks
Durk DeVries and the Percherons
John Ball with his team of Paints
Rick Maas and the Halflingers
Bob Thomas and Lincoln Urbshott with their Belgians

11:00 A.M. Santa arrives and the rides begin. Reservations are needed for 11:00 am only.

Sleigh rides continue until 3 pm. Get together with friends or family and book a full sleigh or come and join another group. Treat your staff to a sleigh ride for their Christmas Social. Sponsor a family for this fun winter outing. Sponsor your favourite team and cheer them on.

Sponsor a “Celebrity Driver” or ride in one of their sleighs!

Free-will donations will be directed to The Women’s Centre (Grey & Bruce) Inc.

For more information and to book a sleigh, contact:
Your Hosts: Durk and Alma DeVries,
or
The Women’s Centre (Grey & Bruce) Inc.
519-376-0755 x 100 or 105

Dual Acre Percherons
One mile north of Shallow Lake on County Road 1/70
Phone 519-935-3156 or 519-935-2462 e-mail dual.acres@sympatico.ca

A little more sane

This week is going to be a bit more sane. I am on training Thursday Friday but otherwise I'm home safe and sound.

Today we're pulling together information for an insert in the Owen Sound Sun Times. We want to tell the community just what it is we've been up to over the past year. We're also hoping to generate some donations.

The campaign is going well, but we've got a long way to go yet.

We've many new and exciting initiaitives planned for the new year and it's going to be very exciting. So what this space!

Crazy week

This week is going to be a little crazy. Monday I am in London for a policy forum on Seniors and I wish to bring the concerns of SAAN and specifically elder abuse to this forum.

Tuesday morning I'm in Hanover to pick up Lesson's fundraising dollars. Lesson's more than doubled their goal of $500! Tuesday night I'm in Clinton for the Annual General Meeting of Epilepsy Huron Perth Bruce.

Wednesday I'm off to Collingwood to meet with TD Canada Trust to work on their campaign for this fall, as well as a meeting with Community Connection on our Volunteer Portal project and an update on 211 as well.

Thursday is our SAAN meeting and Friday brings our Women's Poverty Group together as well as a conference call on Winter Warmth. Starting December 3rd under the Winter Warmth program we will be once again be assisting people with their Union Gas utility bills.

It's just going to be one of those weeks, lots to do, lots of people to see and all and all very positive.

Fall newsletter

Despite the Winterama meetings....
Despite the garden being fully harvested....
Despite the talk of snow in the forecast...

Check our Fall Newsletter. As the autumn is the focus of our campaign, it focuses a lot on the campaign.

So pass it along!

Fantastic news

Hobart Food Equipment has celebrated its 10 year partnership with the United Way of Bruce Grey by blowing the lid of its fundraising campaign.

The 2007 employee and corporate campaign hit an all time high with just over $38 000 being raised in it’s month long campaign. Employee participation for payroll deduction was 70%, a 20% increase over 2006.

With support from its parent company ITW of Illinois Hobart Food Equipment employees have raised almost $90 000 in the past 3 years for the United Way of Bruce Grey, bringing its 10 year total to just under $150 000.

“This has blown our socks off,” said Paul Stethem, head of Human Resources, “our goal was a 10% increase and we achieved an increase of just over 50%”.

“This donation puts us well over halfway to our goal of raising $285 00, to begin to meet the needs in our community” said United Way Executive Director Francesca Dobbyn

Hobart’s parent company ITW matches the employee contribution dollar for dollar. There was initial concern that the rising dollar would negatively impact the campaign, but the employee response was so strong, that the campaign will show an increase despite the current exchange rate.

The current United Way of Bruce Grey campaign total is: $160 387.22

Hobart is the world's leading innovator of food equipment, systems and service and has been around for more than 110 years. Hobart Corporation is a part of Illinois Tool Works (ITW). The Owen Sound plant employs 181. Hobart Food Equipment plants and offices across Canada have collectively raised upwards of $75 000 for United Ways across Canada in 2007.

For more information please contact


Paul Stethem
Hobart Food Equipment
519 376 8886

Francesca Dobbyn
United Way of Bruce Grey
519 376 1560