United Way column for Saturday, October 22, 2022
United Way of Sarnia-Lambton has now surpassed $627,000 of the $1.65 million needs target.
“We have reached 38% of our goal so far, with five weeks of fundraising in the books. The campaign will run 15 weeks until the end of the year,” said Vicky Ducharme, the 2022 United Way Campaign Chair.
“We expect to be over 40% by this time next week as a number of our large employee campaigns have just begun their employee fundraising,” she said.
NOVA Chemicals have now begun their campaign, and Shell Canada is almost a week into their employee drives. Both companies will match contributions from employees and NOVA will also match retirees. “The retiree portion of these fund-raising drives got off to a great start and it appears the employees have as well,” she said.
Styrolution and Cabot Canada have also just kicked off their employee campaigns.
Meanwhile, Imperial employees are in the final weeks of their campaign and are about to do follow ups to individuals who have not yet contributed this year, but have in previous years. “We know in today’s busy world, we all need reminders,” said Ducharme who added that many donors do not realize that their contributions need to be renewed each year. “Many donors think their pay roll deductions will continue until they update the amounts. More companies are considering a perpetual giving campaigns,” she said.
Suncor, Enbridge, and CF Industries, are among the companies that run perpetual giving programs with United Way payroll deductions, and at Arlanxeo, employees have a choice.
Imperial employees still have a number of events ongoing including a recent “Grab and Go” lunch and a managers’ Pie in the face’ which raised $800.
Reliance Home comfort, and the LCBO Drives are complete, and Ducharme expressed her thanks and appreciation to those employees for all of their support. Reliance Home Comfort will match all employee contributions as well this year and the total raised through the LCBO Give at the Til campaign will be known later this month.
Non industrial campaigns have also started including the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada Border Services, Lambton College, and the St. Clair Catholic District School Board has now completed two of their four week campaign. The Lambton Kent District School Board will begin their employee campaign in November.
Once again, the United Way has partnered with the Dante Club in Sarnia in offering a frozen meals take out service.
“We will have a couple of new menu items this year,” Ducharme said including Cabbage rolls and a frozen pasta option in addition to the more popular options from previous years. She said details will be announced shortly.
Once announced, meals can be ordered from the United Way website at www.theunitedway.on.ca.
“We would like to thank our sponsors, Libro Credit Union for a generous cash sponsorship, the Lambton Cattlemen who donated locally raised ground beef, Berryhilll Farms in Warwick who donated the cabbage. We are adding more sponsors as well,” she said.
Ducharme pointed out that the sponsors have been with the United Way sponsoring the meals, and the previous Locally Lambton Dinner with cash and product for years.
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Photo Caption:
Shawn Zettel, Sarnia Site Safety Manager is about to get “pied’d by Shane Ferneyhough, Safety Group Leader and Operations Integrity Coordinator to raise money and awareness for the United Way of Sarnia-Lambton. The Imperial Sarnia Site will wind down its employee campaign the end of October.
