Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

LOCAL CHARITIES

United Way TNC exploring new ways to raise funds during annual campaign

Nov 24, 2020 | 4:54 PM

KAMLOOPS — The United Way Thompson-Nicola-Cariboo works with countless organizations to help improve the lives of people in many communities throughout our region. However, this year their annual fundraising campaign looks different, as COVID-19 has changed the way many people work during this pandemic.

There’s a long list of organizations throughout the Thompson, Nicola, and Cariboo regions that benefit from the funds the United Way is able to gather year after year.

“Of course, it isn’t just Kamloops,” Interim Executive Director of the United Way, Katie Neustaeter says. “We look out to Merritt, we look to 100 Mile, we look to Lillooet, Ashcroft, Cache Creek and beyond. Those needs are in every single community, so our goal is to reach into those rural areas too where maybe we don’t hear as many stats, but they have just as many challenges.”

As with many aspects of our daily lives, fundraising has changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Thompson-Nicola-Cariboo branch of the United Way, that means finding new ways to engage with donors.

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“We’re not doing Homes for the Holidays, we didn’t do our truck pull or our Drive-Thru Breakfast, all those signature events,” Neustaeter explains. “We want to make sure there’s plenty of landscape for charities to fundraise through events like that. Also, people are exhausted. Exhausted of giving, of virtual spaces and we wanted to make sure we’re being respectful of that.”

Instead of the usual breakfast, the United Way moved their Campaign Kickoff event online at the beginning of October. The event is a chance to recognize the efforts of donors throughout the community. Many of those donors are working hard to ensure they can maintain their annual contributions to the United Way.

“This year has been a bit of a challenge, as everyone across the community is regrouping,” City of Kamloops United Way Committee Chair Christine Nickel says. “We have a little later to our campaign than we typically would.”

Domtar and its employees represented by Unifor are consistently one of the biggest contributors to the United Way TNC in Kamloops. This year, the union and the company have strengthened their bond to ensure that they’re able to maintain their contribution to the United Way.

“Normally we kick-off the campaign on-site,” Domtar Kamloops General Manager Jean-Claude Allaire explained. “We do events, we’re gathering and we’re asking people to fill out their pledge form. This we cannot do that.”

“The United Way is very important to Unifor National and our Local [10-B],” Unifor Local 10-B President Rene Pellerin says. “We work closely with our employer Domtar, it helps us reach our members [about the campaign].”

Many workplaces use special events to help push their campaign totals over the top. With more people working from that aspect of the campaign will look different. However, Christine Nickel with the City of Kamloops is hopeful that won’t dampen the excitement to give.

“We’re missing that in-person excitement, but it’s really wonderful to see that we still have a lot of people that want to pull that campaign together and share the word however we can.”

With the second wave of COVID-19 on the rise and the effects of the pandemic still being felt, Neustaeter is hopeful more people throughout the community recognize that need and help the United Way assist those in need.

“There needs to be a recognition that there are some people disproportionally suffering and there are already people who were disadvantaged to begin with,” Neustaeter says. “That’s what the United Way’s campaign is all about: making sure we can meet every need possible that rises up in our community during this time.”