Community Partnerships
Partnering is the key to addressing widespread, complex needs.
We believe that the best solutions often come from collaborative approaches. By seeking out community partnerships to help address key priorities, we’re broadening both our reach and the positive impact of our efforts. For this same reason, we also invest significant time, expertise and funds into building strong not-for-profit sector supports.
Community Partnerships
Alliance for Children and Youth of Waterloo Region
The Alliance for Children and Youth of Waterloo Region improves the well-being of children, youth and families in our community by bringing together a wide range of child and youth-serving agencies as well as interested individuals. Through collaborative discussion, planning and action, the Alliance helps mobilize effective teams to respond to key issues.
Labour Program of Waterloo Region
The Labour Program of Waterloo Region is a joint initiative shared with the Waterloo Region Labour Council and United Way of Cambridge and North Dumfries. A highlight of this long and rewarding partnership is the Union Counselling Program, which educates union members about community resources and social issues so they can link those in need with available social services. For more information, please contact our Labour Representative, Steve Sachs, at 519-888-6100 ext. 246 or ssachs@uwaykw.org.
OLIVE
A collaborative effort between United Way of Kitchener Waterloo and Area, The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation and The Ontario Trillium Foundation, OLIVE supports innovation, collaboration, and leadership within the not-for-profit sector. This initiative has yielded research insights into collaborative relationships and the development of both Capacity Waterloo Region and the Resiliency Initiative. United Way participates as a funder, collaborative partner, catalyst, and advisor. For more information about OLIVE, please contact our CEO, Jan Varner, at jvarner@uwaykw.org or 519-888-6100 ext. 224.
Opportunities Waterloo Region
Through collaboration, advocacy and education, Opportunities Waterloo Region ignites community action and leadership to create bold solutions that reduce and prevent poverty. Acting as a regional convener, this community support organization brings together a strong network that includes businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, other non-profit organizations and concerned individuals.
Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network (WRIEN)
Hosted by the Greater KW Chamber of Commerce, WRIEN brings together a cross-section of stakeholders from the community - agencies, funders, government, and businesses - to find ways to better attract immigrant talent and ensure immigrants are much more visible and successful within the recruitment and selection processes of local employers.
211
Time and time again, we hear about the issue of inaccessibility to community services information. 211 is a reliable, user-friendly resource that provides people looking for human services in Ontario with a fully searchable, bilingual point of access to over 56,000 community, social, health and related government programs and services. 211 is a product of the collaborative efforts of many community and government partners. Locally, United Way of Kitchener Waterloo and Area, United Way of Cambridge and North Dumfries, and the Region of Waterloo are investing both time and expertise into exploring the feasibility of this initiative for our region.
Not-For-Profit Sector Supports
A strong and resilient not-for-profit sector is key to ensuring that the social support networks needed by all community members are available and sustainable. For this reason, United Way is committed to investing in not-for-profit sector supports. United Way is currently investing in the following organizations:
Capacity Waterloo Region
Capacity Waterloo Region is a five-year pilot project to fuel social innovation by developing an enabling environment that brings together resources from all sectors to support the people and ideas that build lasting social change.
Volunteer Recruitment and Referral (Volunteer Action Centre)
The Volunteer Action Centre believes that building community is about making connections. One of three key programs helping to achieve this goal is Volunteer Recruitment and Referral, which connects people who want to volunteer with community organizations that need them.
Waterloo Region Shares
A collaborative initiative of the Food Assistance Network, Waterloo Region Shares works to improve the coordination, efficiency, and effectiveness of our local food assistance system. United Way of Kitchener Waterloo and Area is one of several organizations funding this initiative.
