The United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin is taking a “radical” approach to their 82nd fundraising campaign.
An official launch of their 2022 campaign took place at CTRL-V virtual reality venue in Guelph, Ont., on Wednesday.
The theme this year is Radical Recovery. One of the unique aspects of this year’s United Way campaign is that there is no set fundraising goal.
“Because of the isolation of the pandemic, the mental health pressures, and the current economic situation, everyone is feeling the need to reach out for support,” said Glenna Banda, executive director of the Guelph Wellington Dufferin chapter.
“Our goal is to create a community where everyone can thrive,” said Banda. “We will do our best and raise what we can and then make the best use of those dollars.”
Campaign Chair Patricia Tersigni said it is great to be having a live, in-person campaign once again as they continue to recover from the pandemic.
“If we are not raising the funds that are required to support those agencies and the strategic priorities, it would be impossible to make that radical recovery and the change that we desperately need,” said Tersigni.
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The meaning behind the theme Radical Recovery for their campaign was born out of the pandemic.
“The idea that we go back to a so-called normal prior to the pandemic wasn’t good enough,” said Banda. “We need a radical recovery to change situations, and address root causes like poverty so that people can thrive.”
The idea of having the launch at a virtual reality venue was not lost on Tersigni.
“Virtual has been a vehicle for people coming together during the pandemic,” Tersigni said. “But we know we can’t do virtual all the time. Community needs community, people need people, and physically we need to come together to solve the most pressing issues.”
She added that people want the community to thrive and be resilient in these challenging times.
For more information on the Radical Recovery campaign and how to donate, go to the United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin website.
You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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