‘A completely new concept’: United Way launches online tool enabling Island residents to view impact of donation via interactive map

'A completely new concept': United Way launches online tool enabling Island residents to view impact of donation via interactive map
CHEK

United Way Southern Vancouver Island (UWSVI) has launched a new online tool that enables residents to view the impact of their donations and see which local areas need more support via an interactive map.

The tool is part of a new campaign called Help A Neighbour and it is aimed at engaging the community to be able to better help their local neighbours, according to United Way.

The new campaign aims to initially raise at least $300,000 to fund services and supports based on need, reaching 15,000 local individuals through various UWSVI programs and initiatives. 

“Our Help A Neighbour campaign really reflects UWSVI’s long 85-year history serving this region,”  said Mark Breslauer, CEO of UWSVI. “The interactive map created by the campaign is a completely new concept for us and will be critically important in measuring the true impact United Way has in the community and addressing what more needs to be done. It is also a helpful tool for those  interested in giving where it matters most.”

According to UWSVI, the hope for the Help A Neighbour campaign is that it sparks collective action to help change the lives of locals nearby — what the United Way is calling a “truly local campaign.”

Donors will be able to use the interactive map to source businesses and local programs within their own neighbourhood to learn more about where their money is going.

Municipalities and areas depicted in the map include Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Saanich, Victoria, View  Royal, Central Saanich, North Saanich, Sidney, Salt Spring Island, Southern Gulf Islands, Colwood, Highlands, Langford, Metchosin, Sooke, and Juan de Fuca.

“The idea behind Help A Neighbour is to ask people to transform lives within their own neighbourhoods,” said Breslauer. “This year, we will be fundraising for our four areas of action – seniors; mental health and addictions; families; and diversity, equity and inclusion. The online map will connect donors and businesses directly to local programs while showing facts and statistics related to each area UWSVI serves.” 

UWSVI says that within each of these areas, donors are able to access specific information about the neighbourhood’s demographic (i.e. the number of seniors living in each area and the number of individuals who are low-income), stories of hope and the programs or agencies funded by United Way. 

More information about the Help A Neighbour campaign can be found online here.

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