- Frances Lankin
Many will dig deeper to aid those newly in need, Lankin says of $110 million target
Reprinted with permission from Toronto Star*
Leslie Ferenc, Staff Reporter
When times get tough, Torontonians dig deeper and reach out further to help their friends and neighbours in need, says the head of Canada's largest public charity. At a time of economic uncertainties, United Way Toronto president Frances Lankin says she's confident "this giving city" can meet this year's target of $110 million. Last year Toronto donors gave a record-setting $108.1 million. The 2008 target is going to be a challenge, said Lankin.
"In terms of the economy, we're bordering on something not seen for a couple of decades," she said, noting the manufacturing sector has already been hit. Working families are struggling, say front-line agencies supported by United Way.
"Over 80 per cent of United Way dollars come from individual donors," Lankin said. "If they're worried about their futures, they may not be able to give as much. But there are those who will give more because their friends and neighbours are hurting."
Getting at the underlying causes of urban challenges - poverty among them - is as important as raising money. In recent years United Way Toronto has been "on a journey of transformation" to expand its mission, Lankin said.
Today, UWT is actively promoting social change by bringing together business, governments, labour, volunteers and foundations to work toward a stronger and healthier community, she said.
The partnerships are focused on United Way Toronto priorities - the needs of youth, building strong neighbourhoods, helping newcomers succeed and providing a strong voice to influence public policy.
Research like the Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force report enabled UWT and the City of Toronto to identify 13 priority neighbourhoods - among them Malvern, Dorset Park and Jane-Finch - that urgently need attention.
Among the report's initiatives were "community service hubs." Residents, private sponsors, agencies and government workers teamed to set up one-stop health care and social services in neighbourhoods in urgent need of them.
Action for Neighbourhood Change, which engages residents to decide what their community needs and provides funding to help them run with it, is being rolled out in all 13 neighbourhoods.
United Way joined forces with the province on the Youth Challenge Fund, which sets out 93 initiatives to support young people in the 13 neighbourhoods. By the end of 2009, the province and private donors will have invested $45 million.
Increased UWT funding for agencies working with immigrants is also making an impact, Lankin said.
Her organization has also been heard on family poverty. Its 2007 report Losing Ground showed Toronto's middle income families with kids under 18 had fallen behind their counterparts in Ontario and Canada. The study urged the province to develop a Toronto poverty reduction strategy.
"Our goal is now to fulfill long-term needs so that we lift whole communities," Lankin told the UWT general meeting in May.
"We know today's problems are complex and that it takes a whole community working together to change social conditions.
"By working in partnerships and by mobilizing people and resources, we can address the root causes of our city's shared challenges."
* Reproduced with permission - Torstar Syndication Services
"United Way goal asks more of 'Giving City' in soft economy" was published in the Toronto Star on Monday September 15, 2008.
