The president and CEO of United Way of British Columbia says the days immediately following the Lapu Lapu tragedy on April 26 were unprecedented.
“In the immediate aftermath, we had staff in contact with the victims’ families to try to assess what their immediate needs were and we were able to respond with support for things like you know rent payments, travel assistance, whether it’s you know, local travel — we assisted some extended family to travel to Vancouver from other parts of the world to be with their families at a … horrific time,” Michael McKnight told Global News in a sit-down interview.
He said that United Way helped pay for some burial expenses and co-ordinated with the Vancouver Police Department’s victim services and social workers.
Four days following the tragedy, in which 11 people were killed and dozens more were injured, United Way BC announced the Kapwa Strong Fund, saying 100 per cent of donations will directly support those affected by the tragic events.
McKnight said that the organization’s role transformed into working with the community to offer trauma support and figure out how to mobilize support for people impacted.
Donations poured into the fund, which raised more than $2 million.
A quarter of it went to the festival organizer, Filipino BC, at the request of donors and the rest, more than $1.5 million, was distributed.
United Way BC ended up handing out 45 grants to organizations that applied, and a report will be compiled after March 31 showing how the organizations used the money and the results.
The committee that decides is made up of eight people — four from United Way BC and four external members.
United Way stated that the four external members were leaders in the Filipino community.
“We worked with the Filipino community and the broader community to hear what they had to say about how people affected, that they directly work with day in, day out, might be best supported in that aftermath,” McKnight said.
“And, you know, everybody heals differently. So we were open to what the community told us, their clients, or the people in their organizations needed, and we worked to provide grants that fulfilled those needs that were identified.”
United Way confirmed that 21 funding applications were not approved.
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Full breakdown of the Lapu Lapu tragedy donations and where the money went
Global News has heard from victims of the Lapu Lapu tragedy that they are not getting the financial support or help they expected.
McKnight said he can’t speak to what everyone’s expectation of where the donated money was going to go.
“I think we communicated in our solicitation to the community the type of work that United Way does,” he said.
“For the last 97 years, United Way has been working with community-based organizations to support social service needs. So it’s consistent with what we’ve done for the last 96 years. And our role in supporting community is about community well-being.”
McKnight said that United Way’s role has always been to support the broader community and that victims are defined in many different ways.
He added that they can’t force members of the public to attend any of these events that are funded by the grant money.
According to its Kapwa Strong Funds Distribution report, one grant of $30,000 was given to the Bandits Community Foundation, based in Langley, to refurbish a basketball court in the Philippine flag colours and to offer free youth camps led by Filipino coaches.
“That grant wasn’t for refurbishing a basketball court,” McKnight said.
“In our conversations with the Filipino community, the community told us that young Filipino or Filipino youth really connect with basketball. And this was a grant to provide basketball camps in combination with available counselling in the moment to support those kinds of youth. That’s what the grant was issued for. And I guess we’ll find out in the final report if it was consistent, the funds were consistent with that proposal, but it wasn’t to refurbish a basketball court, it was to provide basketball camps for Filipino youth.”
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AJ Sico suffered a traumatic brain injury and now requires a wheelchair after he was severely injured in the Lapu Lapu Festival tragedy.
His loved ones say they have not received financial support from United Way BC.
“The fact people donate thinking it goes to families, it goes to organizations who have to apply to grants to get the money, who can do whatever they want with it,” Sico’s girlfriend, Vanessa Hill, told Global News previously.
“That’s a huge bait and switch.”
Sico’s family has set up a GoFundMe to try and raise money to support his care.
McKnight insists that United Way’s role is to support the broader community.
“What we tried to do, and again, this isn’t an incident that any of us have any experience with, but where we saw the immediate need, we tried to step in and help before these other systems kick in, whether health care, insurance, other kinds of organizations and supports that are outside of United Way’s role and mandate,” he said.
“There are different organizations whose mandates are specific to addressing the needs of victims in tragic circumstances,” McKnight added.
“United Way’s rule, our expertise, our ability, is to support the broader community. It always has been. And that’s where our strength and our capacity and our knowledge is. We were never set up to help individuals during those types of tragic situations.”
When asked to respond to criticism that the grants appear to be a haphazard patchwork of services, McKnight admitted that charities are not always efficient.
“Well, the network of community services isn’t highly coordinated. It’s often impassioned individuals who want to do something,” he said.
Premier David Eby said his office is looking into issues raised by victims.
“Our staff have reached out to the United Way to talk about the distribution of money and to ensure accountability to both who donated and those who were expecting support, who may not have received it,” Eby said.
I will never donate to United Way again. $2 million was donated under the representation that it would go to the victims – not to groups and healing circles. United Way should have to pay back every donor every penny so they can actually give it to the victims through a go fund me.
Canada’s biggest charity turns out to be the biggest scam. Absolutely heartbreaking for the victims. I hope Eby keeps his promise and investigates UWBC. Maybe pull some
Of the $150k grant money UW gave away to useless groups that aren’t helping victims at all.
Global reporter was very good, pressuring this crooked BCUW CEO on organization policies, he was not able to answer and started to be defensive. I don’t know how Yoga was able to get the grant and had anything to do with the Lapu Lapu incident? Art therapy for $200k, what is going on? Healing Circles for almost $250k? And how about Mental Health Supports – this should not even be considered extra, mental health supports should be a primary support to those affected by this tragic event, how could it be over half million? Wow, this sounds very corrupted. How were those eight (8) people in the decision making – are they connected somehow to these organizations that were benefited from the grants, but has nothing to do with supporting these victims and their families? Just follow the money!!!!!
On a side note, perhaps that Filipino gentleman who won $80 million should consider helping out his own people and those injured in this tragic incident? Was there any news about this gentleman donating to the most needed people?
Well, just follow the money!
Money is a very attractive element in our daily lives. This whole United Way thing just does not pass the smell test to me, imho. Why are you giving money to send kids to basketball camps? Does this have to do with the Lapu Lapu event? Are these kids victims of this tragic event? United Way is turning into a joke. Similar to the United Nations, way too many corrupted nations which had made it non-functionable.
When the public donates over $2 million after a tragedy, the organization responsible for distributing the money has a duty to make sure it goes to the people who were actually affected. That’s basic accountability. What’s troubling here is that UWBC is saying no mistake was made, while legitimate questions remain about why funds were allocated to multiple programs and organizations that may not directly support victims of the Lapu Lapu Day Festival tragedy. If donors gave in good faith expecting the money to support victims and families first, then dismissing those concerns without transparency only undermines public trust. People deserve clear answers about how decisions were made and who actually benefited from these funds. Let’s look into their salaries of directors and senior managers which is above 100k minimum.
United Way was accountable for distributing the funds but failed to look into the actual representation of the charities. The so called charities that “represent” Filipino communities are looking after themselves and their own staff, not for those who were directly affected by the Lapu Lapu. Given the fact that over 2 million was donated, they wanted a slice of the cake when it should never have been granted to them. Why are there a need for 13 healing centres, dances, or 10K for storytelling? I find it hard to believe United Way are crooks. The money distribution was most likely swayed by wayward Filipino staff members who are currying favours from the charities or the chair of Filipino BC, RJ Aquino is incompetent and should be held accountable for this mess.
united way is a crook. I donated in the pretense that the money was going to the injured victims and their families. Not to stupid organizations. What waist of money. united way is profiting on a horrendous act by monster who should get the death penalty.
Great report by the journalists on this story. Keep pushing to hold the CEO and organization accountable.
When I made a donation to the Fund last year I received written confirmation that,
“100% of your donation to United Way BC will directly support those affected by the tragedy”.
Now that doesn’t appear to have been the case, does it.
I refuse to donate to United Way
They are just middlemen skimming off the donations people make to organizations before passing a small portion of the money along
There scam artists
Scammers
Most corrupt org. is United Way just check how much their leadership is making vs how much of money donated goes towards the actual cause.
Believe me most of that money is already in the Philippines, there’s no accountability handouts became the norm.