United Way CKL Kicks Off its 2018/2019 Campaign

The United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes kicked off its campaign at Smitty’s Restaurant today by announcing that Police Chief Mark Mitchell of the Kawartha Lakes Police Services will be the 2018-2019 Campaign Chairperson. Traditional support through donors, workplaces and volunteers continues to be critical to the United Way’s campaign. Sheila O’Connell, Supply Chain Manager at Crayola Canada and Brett Goodwin, Dean and Principal of Fleming College’s Frost Campus helped to reveal a partnership that will increase support for UWCKL’s food security work. 30,000 square feet of vacant land at Crayola Canada will be developed with the help of Fleming staff and students. This social innovation garden project will enhance the availability of fresh produce for programs such as the Good Food Box, collective kitchens, meals on wheels, cooking classes, food banks, food cupboards and the Kawartha Lakes Food Source.

Chief Mitchell noted that donors, volunteers and partnerships are key to developing consistent funding for vital programs, “The City of Kawartha Lakes is a wonderfully vibrant community, but there are those within this community who need our help. Whether it is in times of emergency or those dealing with chronic issues, the United Way is there with a variety of services to meet those needs. Those services are delivered by agencies and United Way, but it is our donors, however, who make it all happen. It’s how we show that we care.”
“We are extremely grateful to Chief Mitchell for his leadership. We promised the Chief this will be a great learning journey on how we can change and enhance lives across our rural communities. Today’s launch showcases the breadth of our past and present work. We have invested more than $65,000 in bursaries to high school students since 2002 and having Morgan Watson, a past bursary recipient, share her journey into education and a job is wonderful,” said Penny Barton Dyke, Executive Director of UWCKL.

Going forward, Shantal Ingram, Community Investment Coordinator for UWCKL added,

“This is a year to inspire one another to give, mentor people and strengthen our support. Every year, hundreds of volunteers organize their campaigns with colleagues to raise funds through payroll deduction, lunches, chili cook offs, school assemblies, sports events, and even job exchanges with management and staff. Please know that your efforts and commitment inspire and bring hope to our community partners and agencies as we grow investment into quality programs and projects. We will be featuring these workplaces and teams to say thank you throughout the year.”

Duncan Gallacher, Board President of UWCKL, spoke about the growth of partnerships and the development of programs that address changing needs. “Since 2005, we have increased our social investment to not only include agencies and their programs, but we have also raised specific funds for community development projects. United Way has invested over $7 million in agency programs since 1986 and $1 million has been invested in community projects that help with food security, job and educational skills building, housing and youth. Our critical path forward is to continue to build strong partnerships with our local businesses. Crayola, Fleming College, and Hills Florist, along with several agencies and investors, shared the dream of expanding our community gardens and creating practical educational experiences for our youth. Our announcement on the land use agreement with Crayola is truly exciting! We have also created, with Community Living Trent Highlands, new garden plots in Haliburton through a Day of Caring. Women United also provided funds for a greenhouse at their Haliburton location. We worked with about 10 agencies this summer to create a Brown Bag Lunch program and comprehensive job readiness programs to King Albert Public School as a pilot hub delivery model. This is how, as a community, we should come together in planning and delivering support,” said Mr. Gallacher.

By cklunitedway|2019-01-20T12:13:18-05:00September 13th, 2018|Campaign, Kickoff, News|Comments Off

50th Anniversary Community Champions Touchdown Dinner an Unprecedented Success

Our 2018 Campaign Touchdown Dinner Event was our most successful yet. This year we were able to secure some incredible silent auction prizes and event sponsors to come away with over $5,000.00! Our guest speaker Denise Hepburn, retired 8-Wing Master Corporal, was an inspiration to all as she told her story of the incredible battle she has faced after suffering a C2 spinal injury in a training exercise: an injury with a 5% survival rate. She overcame the physical challenges and continues to deal with the mental health side of a life-long injury. Her fortitude helped drive her to compete in the 2017 Invictus Games in rowing, seated volleyball and swimming. She won four bronze medals in swimming. Denise spoke about the importance of having support systems like United Way in place for people who are suffering from mental health issues. She is proud to be able to bring awareness to mental health initiatives and hopes sharing her journey will encourage others to reach out for help, especially those dealing with PTSD.

We wish to sincerely thank our sponsors for this event, along with the VCCS Employment team for their incredible support of this event. Without you, there would be no way. Read more about the Touchdown event and our upcoming projects, as well as new volunteer opportunities in our Spring Newsletter!

By cklunitedway|2019-01-20T12:14:11-05:00September 12th, 2018|50th Anniversary, Special Events|Comments Off

Community Hub at King Albert Public School

Our first ever Community Hub at King Albert Public School was a success! Surveys returned from class participants were mostly positive: adults appreciated the food they were provided with, the fee coverage for each course, the ease of access to child care on site and the certifications/knowledge that they gained which will give them a “leg up” into future employment.

Child minding was provided, free of charge, to four children of three mothers who took the Safe Food Handler course. Volunteer caregivers Emily and Judy provided childcare to these four children, along with help from Hub Manager and United Way Staff Member Elly. Other children who took the Cooking with Tweens Program in the morning (provided by John Howard Society), had the option of taking a bus to join in programming at the Boys and Girls Club for the afternoon.

A healthy snack and lunch was provided to each child and program participant each day of programming. A group of about 5 volunteers helped to prepare the food on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, while on Wednesdays and Fridays, the food was prepared by the Brown bag Lunch program and distributed at the school by Mallory Cramp-Waldinsperger (Summer Student at United Way CKL). On food prep days, Mike Kleinhuis (Pastor of The Centre Community Church) and Mallory purchased food, led the team of volunteers to prepare the food, and distributed the food to children in the school. Most days, approximately 60 healthy lunches were provided to Community Hub participants. The menu and budget were created by Mike Kleinhuis and Aisha Malik, and food was purchased from the Kawartha Wholesale Bakery and Valu-Mart.

Thank you to every partner, volunteer, and agency who was involved in the planning and execution of this pilot project!

By cklunitedway|2019-01-23T08:53:40-05:00August 18th, 2018|community, community hub|Comments Off

2018 Annual Curling Bonspiel

Our 2018 Annual Curling Bonspiel Rocked! (we couldn’t resist)

What an incredible weekend we had at our Annual Curling Bonspiel! We had curlers of all ages and all skill levels join us for a day full of curling, prizes and food. Thank you to our amazing group of volunteers led by Audrey Quibell, who worked tirelessly to create yet another successful fundraiser for our campaign. Curlers, you “ROCK” (no pun intended)! Check out our news section for photos and all of our thank yous.

What an incredible weekend we had at our Annual Curling Bonspiel! We had curlers of all ages and all skill levels join us for a day full of curling, prizes and food. Thank you to our amazing group of volunteers led by Audrey Quibell, who worked tirelessly to create yet another successful fundraiser for our campaign. Curlers, you “ROCK” (no pun intended)!

Thank you to our volunteers!

Sue Allen, Pat Presley, Lutie Anne Presley, Jane Fergusson, Barb Shullman, Stephanie Harwood-Jones, Cathy Terry, Liz Riches, Jane Durward, Jewel Chalmers, Paul McPherson, Anne Hartle, Janeel Quibell, David Presley, Suzanne Barker, Kay Esphinho

Thank you to our participants!

Thank you to our Donors!

Food donors – Kountry Kitchen, Kawartha Bakery, Donna Jewell, Liz Riches, Anita Nixon, Gayle Pillsworth, Nesbitt’s Meat Market, National Grocers, Pat Presley, Jane Durward, M&M Food Market

Prize Donors– Home Hardware Lindsay, Crayola, Nexicom, Worsley Automotive, Garry Quibell, St. John Ambulance, Axis Victoria Drug Mart Pharmacy, Equillibrium Dr. Mark Citro Chiropractic, Johnson Jewellers, Iceman Video Games, Tim Hortons Fenelon Falls Chris Bays, Sport Chek, Lingere Loft, Coles Books, Kelseys, Food Basics, 3M, Winners, Marks Work Warehouse, George Salac, North End Beauty Salon, Kawartha Dairy, Ultramar, Olympia Restaurant, Donna Jewell, Houghton Creek, The Cat and the Fiddle, Mr. Sub, Hobart’s Steakhouse, Tim Hortons Bobcaygeon Chris Bays, Shoppers Drug Mart Downtown Lindsay, Down to Earth Adventure Outfitters, Trent Travel, Cathy Allen Ladieswear, Neabors Restaurant, Fresh Fuell, John Howard Society, Square Boys Pizza

By cklunitedway|2019-01-20T12:16:44-05:00March 14th, 2018|Bonspiel, Fundraisers, Special Events, thank you|Comments Off

50 Years Celebration

Celebrating 50 Years!

By cklunitedway|2019-01-20T12:17:52-05:00September 15th, 2017|News, Special Events|Comments Off

Out of this World with Chris Hadfield

Our Out of This World with Colonel Chris Hadfield was a big success! $40,000 was raised for the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes!

A huge thank you to all of our sponsors.

By cklunitedway|2017-08-15T11:04:56-04:00June 30th, 2017|Campaign, Events, News, Special Events, thank you|Comments Off

Chris Hadfield Event

This was the biggest one day event ever for the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes.

The day began with Col. Hadfield making a quick visit to Community Living. Following this visit, he spoke with students from the two local school boards as well as a local private school. Over 1,600 students, teachers & staff attended these two events. There was also a Meet & Greet for sponsors where guests had a chance to meet Col. Hadfield. This was followed by the event at the Academy Theatre, with over 600 attendees. After the event there was a book signing. The event raised over $40,000. We would like to thank the Three Chairs Committee: Barb Truax, Tim Truax, Sherry Giltenan Truax, Ruth Tait, Pat Twohey and Marlene Wood for their hard work to make this event happen. What a wonderful memory for everyone who had a chance to be a part of this day!

Here are some images from the event. Click on any thumbnail to see a larger version.

By cklunitedway|2019-01-20T12:17:59-05:00June 1st, 2017|Uncategorized|Comments Off

Chris Hadfield visits the Kawartha Lakes

The United Way for City of Kawartha Lakes is pleased to announce that Col. Chris Hadfield will be presenting his colourful and inspirational keynote address at the Academy Theatre in Lindsay, Ontario on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 8:00p.m.

Col. Chris Hadfield was raised on a corn farm in Ontario and grew up to be the first Canadian to command a spaceship, as well as the first Canadian astronaut to walk in space. He’s a New York Times bestselling author who became a YouTube sensation when he captivated the world through social media with his photos, stories and music while onboard the International Space Station in 2013. This list is only a tiny portion of his accomplishments. With experiences like these, Col. Chris Hadfield will be a fascinating and engaging speaker.

“This is an amazing boost for our area,” stated Penny Barton Dyke, Executive Director of the United Way for CKL. “Col. Hadfield is internationally renowned and so inspirational. We are excited to have his visit coincide with both the 150th Anniversary of Canada and the 50th Anniversary of our United Way! We are grateful to the Three Chairs Committee and the sponsors that have made this fundraiser possible.”

Barb Truax of the Three Chairs Committee said, “Our goal is to host a successful and entertaining event to show our support for the United Way. The UW funded 11 agencies to help 30,000 people from our community last year. When the idea was spawned to find an outstanding and interesting keynote speaker … Col. Chris Hadfield was our immediate first choice. He often speaks to much larger crowds and in much larger venues. We are just thrilled that he will join us here in Lindsay for an intimate evening in our beautiful, historic Academy Theatre.”

Tickets to “Out of This World with Col. Chris Hadfield” are available now at the Academy Theatre box office (705) 324-9111

Or online at: academytheatre.ca

By cklunitedway|2017-02-14T11:07:49-05:00February 14th, 2017|Events, Fundraisers, Special Events|Comments Off

100 Mile Dinner

Kelly Maloney and Laurie McCarthy from the City of Kawartha Lakes and Nicki Dedes and Andrew Brooks from the Olympia Restaurant present the United Way’s Penny Barton Dyke and Shantal Ingram with a cheque. The funds were raised from the very successful 100 Mile Dinner held in September at the Olympia. The 100 Mile Dinner is an annual event that raises funds for the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes and Kawartha Choice Farm Fresh.

By cklunitedway|2019-01-20T12:19:42-05:00October 22nd, 2016|100 Mile Dinner, community, Events, Fundraisers, thank you|Comments Off

Community Garden’s Grand Opening

We have been chosen as the Ontario Flagship Event. This means that EVERY time #GardenDaysCanada is mentioned in the media in Ontario, our event will be highlighted.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at Durham St at 2:30 pm. The UWCKL locations will be handing out lemonade and a snack, the Fleming location is going to make some tea from their herb garden for people to sample and provide tours.

We invite you to visit all or one of our sites: 50 Mary St. W, or Durham St. E at Duke St. If your school or agency has one of the United Way Garden Kits, bring pictures and share you garden updates. Your staff and clients/students are all welcome. Let’s celebrate Garden Days Canada together.

This is what is planned:

“Lemonade in the Garden “Join in a celebration of our local Community Gardens. 3 Lindsay locations to choose from or visit each garden.
The United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes is celebrating Lindsay’s newest Community Garden at Durham St. E/Duke St. Ribbon cutting at 2:30pm. Lemonade and snacks will be available.
Visit the original United Way CKL Community Garden at 50 Mary St. W. for lemonade, snacks and companionship.
The Fleming Community Garden will be providing garden tours and sampling teas made from their herb garden.

Help us raise awareness about Lindsay’s Community Gardens and the United Way CKL’s New Intergenerational gardening program. All ages welcome. Share your gardening stories with kindred spirits and learn about Lindsay’s Community Gardens.”