The United Way Portage office for West Central Manitoba hosted a luncheon Thursday at noon to introduce its campaign team and chair, and to kick off its new fundraising campaign. The goal is to raise $229,000 to support the eight service agencies under its wing.
Community engagement co-ordinator Megan Romphf said they are already in the midst of the 2024 campaign season.
“It’s a great day to come and learn about what we’re doing in the community, who we’re supporting, and why we’re doing it,” she said.
Romphf also shared that McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel rose to the occasion with a surprise announcement of a corporate donation, challenging other businesses in the community to do the same.
“It was a great corporate donation, so thank you very much to Jeff Dubois and the team!” she said.
Jeff Dubois, speaking on behalf of McKenzies, said they wanted to contribute to the Portage campaign for United Way.
“We want to make sure that all the organizations benefiting from United Way can continue to provide the programming needed in our community for those who rely on these services. At the campaign kickoff, I made a donation and would like to challenge other individuals and businesses in the community to step forward and support United Way so we can meet our goal for the 2024 Portage campaign.”
Kayla Reykdal, a partner at BDO, responded to the challenge.
“Jeff put out the challenge today, and our staff donates $2 every Friday, allowing them to select the charity of their choice within the community and surrounding area. They chose United Way, and the partners at BDO match it. So today, we donated as part of the challenge. It’s pretty exciting. Just hearing about the impact it has on different organizations and people in our community is really heartwarming. As they say, so many people are in need right now, so it feels good to give back.”
Preston Meier, chair of the 2024 United Way Portage and area campaign, said he was excited about the turnout and support United Way received at the luncheon.
“To see everyone’s faces and know their passion and desire to help the United Way, which in turn helps the organizations we fund, is amazing. It all comes down to their programs, and the results and outcomes we see make every minute we spend on this worthwhile. We’ve got an incredible campaign team this year, and I’ll tell you, we’re as dedicated as ever to making sure we hit our goal.”
Meier noted that last year, they raised more than $189,000, which was given directly back to the community.
“Unfortunately, not all the requests were met. So this year, we’ve committed, through our campaign team, to raising $229,000, one of the most substantial goals we’ve ever set. Our gratitude and thanks go out to all the corporate donors, workplace campaigns, and personal donations. It’s these organizations that truly thrive because of this support.”
Joe Masi, chair of finance for the City of Portage la Prairie, said the United Way and all the support organizations involved form a great partnership.
“It really is important that the city supports this because there are needs in our community’s so much need in our community, and it’s great to see the United Way and all the organizations they fund make our community more compassionate and caring. As a city, we are proud to participate in the United Way workplace campaign program.”
This year's service organizations supported by United Way are as follows:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Canadian Mental Health Association
- Child and Family Services
- Family Resource Centre
- Portage Bear Clan
- Portage Learning and Literacy Centre
- Portage Service for Seniors
- Sunset Palliative Care
