The Brandon United Way has kicked off its 2022 Fall Campaign with the theme ‘Building Forward’.
The organization’s CEO Cynamon Mychasiw says they decided not to set a lofty fundraising target this year because of just how hard inflation has been hitting everyone.
“So going into this year we know that things are still tight in a lot of cases, so we’re going to do what we can,” she says. “The need in Brandon every year sits at about $800,000, so we’re going to do everything we can to get as close to that $800,000 as we can.”
In 2020 and 2021, Mychasiw says the United Way managed to raise a total of $1.3-million dollars despite COVID-related shutdowns and restrictions in place, and she credits the good people of Brandon for stepping up during those tough times.
And now with difficult days continuing because of inflation pressures, she says one of the organization’s missions this year is a focus on the working poor. “We have a lot of that young demographic in their 20’s who are working two jobs, paying rent and food, and your basic necessities have become a luxury – and that’s just not okay, says Mychasiw. “So, we’re looking at putting some new programming in place in the new year for those individuals and helping them get on the road to financial stability.”
Some of the United Ways’ upcoming events include their annual garage sale this Saturday, September 17th at the Keystone Centre from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. The entry fee is $2.00 for adults and free for kids 12 and under. Other events include the annual Spaghetti Lunch on November 4th – and the Holiday Tree Gala on December 1st with a larger traditional Christmas tree auction to raise money for hampers.
In 2021, the Brandon and District United Way funded 35 programs at 29 different agencies.
Details on the 2022 fundraising campaign, and how you can make a donation, can be found online at https://www.brandonuw.ca/
