COVID-19 Emergency Funding
Learn more about how United Way Halton & Hamilton is supporting vulnerable people during the pandemic, investing in our community and making an impact.
The United Way Halton & Hamilton (UWHH) Community Impact (CI) team works closely with the Halton Region COVID Task force, Halton Granters Roundtable, and the Hamilton Granters Roundtable, carefully reviewing applications for the COVID-19 Emergency Fund.
UWHH makes decisions through a consultative process to assess community need and coordinate funding efforts. We assess applications based on: alignment with support theme, impact in community (who/how many will the funds serve), geographic coverage (ensuring we support initiatives throughout our five communities), and funding gaps (where other funding partners may/may not support the program).
When you give to United Way, you will help provide:
Basic
Needs
Ensure people have access to life’s essentials, such as food.
Help
for Seniors
Ensure that while vulnerable people are isolated, they are also supported.
Capacity for
Community Services
Ensure that community partners can continue to do their vital work.
Mental Health
Support
Enable crisis lines and system navigation services.
As the situation changes, United Way will work with our community partners to adapt.
PHASE 1: BASIC NEEDS
Open to UWHH currently funded agencies targeting emergency needs such as food, PPE, and staffing related to serving immediate needs. The CI team received 17 applications totalling $150,000. The following nine agencies received a total of $50,000.
The Impact: Support 66 individuals with developmental disabilities to provide PPE, food, hygiene and staffing to deliver services.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $7,000
The Impact: Provide comfort kits (hygiene and basic needs) for 25-100 criminalized and marginalized women per week.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $5,000
The Impact:Supports 110 families with food, grocery cards, hygiene products, and online programming for children and youth.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $5,000
The Impact: Provide 140 meals per week for 8 weeks to low income individuals accessing the Next door Kitchen meal bag program in collaboration with Wellington Square United Church.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $3,000
The Impact: Purchase protein rich foods that will serve 2000 children and families in Halton.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $5,000
The Impact: Funds to support additional staffing to support 40-50 at risk and homeless youth (per day) with food programing and outreach.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $5,000
The Impact: Provide emergency needs (grocery cards, hygiene items, and transport) for 150+ marginalized women and survivors of gendered violence.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $5,000
The Impact: Coordinate PPE distribution to frontline staff and support 200+ homeless people across Halton.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $5,000
The Impact: Support staff to replace reduced volunteer capacity in meal hamper program that support 4000 community members 3 days of food for 12,000 days of food.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $10,000
PHASE 2: SUPPORT FOR SENIORS
*Funded by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program
Open to other non-profit charitable organizations beyond those currently supported by UWHH, focussed on seniors (55+) who are self-isolating and otherwise isolated due to age, physical and mental ability, and other circumstances. The CI team received 24 applications totalling $365,158. The following 15 agencies received a total $207,800.
The Impact: Provide supports to over 1,000 vulnerable seniors through meal and activity delivery, online music therapy for seniors and their caregivers, and PPE to frontline staff to continue at home care.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $16,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support delivery of three programs: meals on wheels, shopping 4 seniors (grocery delivery), and friendly calling, to over 200 isolated seniors.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $9,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support 141 developmentally disabled seniors with residential support including meal planning, hygiene support, and socialization through virtual programming.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $20,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support over 114 isolated seniors suffering from mental health challenges such as thoughts of suicide, with wellness checks (often after being hospitalized).
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $7,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Provide 574 households (most of which include seniors or single seniors) with meal bags (including hygiene supplies) and friendly calls.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $17,200
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support front line staff to delivery services (food and essentials like medication and bathing, in person and virtual programming including wellness checks) to 335 self-isolating seniors in Good Shepherd Seniors Building.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $40,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the coordination and delivery of food baskets including other basic needs to over 50 low income, isolated seniors in Oakville.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $22,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provide meals/groceries, weekly exercise classes, and outreach to over 40 isolated seniors.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $3,900
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support staffing to help manage increase requests of the meals on wheels programs (including wellness check) to serve over 200 isolated seniors in Oakville.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $6,300
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support the Seniors First Response Team in delivering food, essential items, and wellness checks to 500 isolated seniors.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $20,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Provide respite and support to 250 seniors and their caregivers isolated in their homes through delivery of care packages (including reading materials, arts and crafts, games, self-care tips, and other resources).
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $5,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support street outreach efforts to 80 vulnerable seniors including providing basic needs, technology/communication, and harm reduction materials (in partnership with Hamilton City Housing, and Wesley).
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $2,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the seniors outreach program to provide care management, emergency food, and/or hot meals to 70 low income seniors (in partnership with City Housing and Hamilton Food Share).
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $21,650
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Increase capacity to support vulnerable seniors through virtual group programs (digital literacy and coping skills, among others), grocery/medication delivery, and navigation of support systems.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $10,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support the coordination and delivery of care hampers (including food, resource information, and mentally stimulating/stress-relieving activities) to 100 isolated seniors in Hamilton.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $5,750
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
PHASE 3: Emergency Community Support Fund
*Funded by the Government of Canada
Open to other non-profit and charitable organizations beyond those currently supported by UWHH, focused on serving the emergency needs of vulnerable populations affected by COVID-19. The CI team has reviewed 97 applications totalling $4,162,535 in requested dollars. Intake is now closed. Investment decisions totalling $2,507,254 have been made.
The Impact: Provide in home respite care/caregiver relief (to combat the extreme mental and physical health impacts such as exhaustion and depression) to 50 families across Halton whose loved one is living with Dementia.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Coordinate and deliver emergency food and art supplies so that more than 66 families and children experiencing low income in Oakville can participate in online arts programming.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $60,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Expansion of the Chalmers application into the Halton Region, supported by Halton Region and Halton Information Providers. This app will support homeless and other marginalized individuals looking for community support services.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $30,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Expand the Support Youth Now program that provides emergency needs (household and hygiene products, food cards) and virtual social programming to 75 at-risk youth in Hamilton’s McQuesten, Sanford, and Crown Point neighbourhoods.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $49,330
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Will support the Phone it Forward program, providing visually impaired individuals with phones that have accessible adapted programs. This technology will empower Blind individuals to operate independently and equitably in society.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $12,288.38
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Continue the Drive to Deliver program which provides nutritional, personal care, and food products to 100 registered cancer patients from Hamilton. Cancer patients are immuno-compromised and in even great need of support during COVID-19.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $42,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Expand and administer the Coping Skills virtual group program to 90 participants to learn how to improve overall mental health and wellness and reduce symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $41,125
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support the Bridging the Gap program for 20 marginalized and oppressed youth aging out of care to access mental health supports and financial assistance to be able to attend post-secondary school. The goal of the program is to end the cycle of homelessness and financial instability.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the 200-250 individuals/families (mainly from Burlington) facing low income, mental health, and homelessness due to economic instability to access food, clothing, and hygiene products every week.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $15,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Adapt and deliver physical fitness programming at Halton Region parks throughout the summer for senior’s to be able to improve their physical and mental health.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $37,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Funding will support this group home with iPads and cameras for their computers, to provide their residents with virtual visits with family members and doctors. Some funding will also go towards personal protective equipment.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $5,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Hire an additional staff to coordinate the Distress Line, a free nonjudgmental support line, which is seeing a 25% increase in call volume, and support summer volunteer coordination.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $35,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Provide disabled children, from Hamilton and Halton, and their families facing financial barriers with assistive devices to promote safe and healthy development and dignified at home living (while other summer camp and care programming is unavailable).
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $24,840
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Hire a Service Coordinator role to provide support, service navigation, and direct basic needs to 100 survivors of sexual assault from Halton and Hamilton.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $71,907
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support the ACCESS program which will provide culturally appropriate, healthy food access to 100 newcomer families and individuals from Hamilton experiencing low income and as a result, food insecurity.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $65,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Supporting Refuge in retaining a Registered Nurse Practitioner to provide the full range of health care to new immigrants and refugees. Services will be provided in a culturally sensitive, language-supported low-barrier manner to benefit this incredibly marginalized group in Hamilton.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $33,231
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provide emergency food and hygiene items to serve 250 infants and children per month throughout Hamilton experiencing low income and/or who are marginalized.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $50,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Deliver the Flamborough Shops program which provides grocery shopping and delivery services to Flamborough residents including rural seniors who require added supports to access due to COVID-19.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Provide bi-weekly food gift cards to 776 children* (and their families) experiencing low income across Halton Region to help ease food insecurity as a result of economic challenges households are now facing.
*This is total clients served; allocating less than requested therefore clients served will likely be less.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $25,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provides bi-weekly food gift cards to 1250* children (and their families) experiencing low income in Hamilton to help ease food insecurity as a result of economic challenges households are now facing.*This is total clients served; allocating less than requested therefore clients served will likely be less.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $25,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the coordination of the influx of food donations in the warehouse and manage the distribution of food into the Halton and Hamilton communities including equipment needs.
Community: Halton & Hamilton
Funding Amount: $62,560
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Will support the Summer Activity Packages program, providing low income families with activity kits, supplemented with instructional videos and Zoom check-ins. Will also support the refurbishing of the Next Door social space to be compliant with health mandates.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $4,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Expanding service provision, food purchasing, and food literacy to those in need in Georgetown. Supporting over 95 individuals through healthy meals, including recipes and meal kits to improve clients’ abilities to cook.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $17,198.50
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provide discretionary funds directly to Halton students who are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for basic needs and essential items. This is a new expansion of an existing program.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $32,100
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Provision of grief and trauma counselling, workshops, and support to those who have lost someone to suicide. Funds directed to increasing staff and outreach capacity.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $26,720
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provide tablets to home visitors delivering the home instruction for parents with youngsters program to facilitate easier learning as parents are under increased pressures of isolation, lack of available technology, and language barriers in the case of newcomers. Program will serve up to 165 families across Burlington, Oakville, and Milton.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $20,800
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support the wages of a social worker that will coordinate and facilitate online groups for 70 newcomer women at risk of or experiencing gender-based violence and provide individualized counselling, safety planning and referrals to specialized services.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $66,074
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will hire a Food Programs Manager and increasing other staffing, focused on Food Market serving 560+/week, and partnership with Halton Fresh Food Box serving 700+ families per month.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $58,800
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Adapt the Prodigal Sonz basketball program which will incorporate physical distancing and pandemic health procedures to provide one to one mentorship with 41 at-risk youth across Hamilton.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $25,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the Infant Food Bank to provide over 130 infants and their families experiencing low income and food insecurity with baby formula, diapers, and other essential needs.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: The “She Can Thrive!” program will provide multi-faceted accessible educational and wellbeing supports to 200 young girls in Milton struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $30,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support food delivery, and counselling delivered by a Middle East Outreach Worker who also assists with accessing supports for those who speak Arabic and/or Kurdish and require immediate and settlement supports during COVID. Will serve 100 clients with home delivery/month and 400 clients with counselling/month across Hamilton.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $60,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the virtual provision of the After School Treatment program that services 247 children with mental health issues and resulting behavioural/social difficulties (and their families on a one-to-one basis) and are under the added pressures of home-schooling.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $50,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Providing behavioural insight-informed processes for tax filing and financial empowerment of people living in poverty and/or with other barriers due to and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provision of in-person and virtual programming to 5 priority neighbourhoods in Oakville to promote wellbeing and health during social distancing measures.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $18,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the costs of physical improvements for their spaces (such as Plexiglas protectors and disinfecting foggers) to support the thousands of immunocompromised children and their families that are housed and supported during hospital stays.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support Outreach & Emergency Response program serving 1,800 to 2,000 individuals from Burlington with food, housing, newcomer and community connections.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $28,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Hire a full time staff position to manage the new online chat tool, provide counselling to clients via Zoom, and increase access to bi-monthly food packages.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $50,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support the launch of the Chalmers Application, created by Ample Labs, that connects vulnerable populations (especially homeless individuals) to on the ground resources (like food and shelter) utilizing Ontario 211 data. This application is expected to serve 2,000 Hamilton-based users per month.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $50,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the management, delivery and purchasing of goods (food, PPE) and healthcare services (including medical and psychotherapy) to ensure 140 young mothers across Hamilton and Halton are supported and rehabilitated from trauma and neglect.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provide basic needs (including food vouchers, clothing, and furniture) to 171+ individuals of all ages and backgrounds experiencing low income across the Hamilton area (including Stoney Creek and Binbrook)
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $30,708
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support an 8-week virtual summer adventure program to support children’s engagement in learning, mental health, and physical activity, all of which have been hindered by the pandemic. Program will target low income and racialized community members.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $20,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Supporting two programs that will support local youth of colour, specifically Black youth. Holland Heroes will support youth facing financial and mental hardships, and the online adaptation of Youth Leadership & Mentorship will support youth needing mentors. Funding will go towards basic needs provisions within those programs, as well as other costs to support this marginalized population.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $45,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provide a virtual services specialist to develop and facilitate virtual workshops in both the Employment Peer Mentoring Program (serving 180 clients) and the Pre-Employment Program (serving 170 clients).
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $37,652
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: This funding will support the organization in purchasing their delivery truck from lease, to ensure they can continue providing direct and client-centered services to those in need.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $30,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the virtual adaptation of the Learning, Sounds, Words program (formerly in Hamilton Wentworth District Schools) to improve literacy skills of children who are in even more need as a results of COVID-19 school closures.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $8,777
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Supporting the virtual adaptation of TEAD’s programming for clients with disabilities. Services will include video check-ins between the clients and their horses, as well as taping of instructional videos based on new requirements for service provision.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $7,832.69
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Wellness in the Woods is a new program that will support frontline workers with equine and mindfulness therapy during and due to the stressful demands of the pandemic.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $5,773.93
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the coordination and delivery of the Health & Hygiene program in which 174 families with infants (located throughout Hamilton) are provided a year’s worth of clothing and essential baby items (such diapers, wipes, etc.)
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $25,900
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Deliver a Kosher Meals on Wheels program to 400 members of the Jewish community and other faith groups across Hamilton and Burlington.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $60,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support a volunteer coordinator, Registered Social Worker, and program materials associated with a virtual companionship program for non-verbal children with medical complexities (and their caregivers) from across Halton and Hamilton.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $10,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provide barrier-free peer counselling (online and in person one-on-one) to more than 200 individuals struggling with mental health challenges including addictions across Hamilton.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the purchasing of 30 pre-loaded reading tablets and WIFI hotspots to loan to seniors who may be isolated and/or immunocompromised. This will assist them in accessing library resources to continue education, and communication tools to connect with others.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $22,600
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Create and distribute personalized self-care kits for 75 adults with developmental disabilities living in group homes or supported living to complement the creation of virtual self-care programming.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $5,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support staff to deliver the Life Skills Empowerment workshop program in partnership with Women’s Place Shelter of Halton. The program responds to the increased need for mental health and empowerment resources to support women in crisis in Halton.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $63,224.49
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Expand agency’s capacity, by supplying laptops and video conferencing software, to offer virtual counselling and support to 100 individuals across Halton (including areas of Hamilton).
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $5,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Provide intake, referral, comfort kit and case worker virtual support (from Grenfell Ministries) to individuals undergoing at home withdrawal (AKA community detoxification) in partnership with Marchese Health Care, Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinic and Welcome Inn Community Centre.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $29,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Continued provision of their meal bag program, which has continued to grow in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program serves 839 people regularly, and increasing.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $57,140
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Deliver the Virtual and Phone Reach program that will see donated cell phones and tablets (including service plans and/or phone cards) and the creation of virtual program content provided to up to 1,000 vulnerable individuals across Hamilton, Burlington, and Oakville.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support the Youth in Transition program which will provide over 165 youth from Halton and Hamilton experiencing sexual violence, domestic violence, or human trafficking a safe hotel space to stay in, food, and case work support to be able to obtain secure, suitable housing and essential needs (like income security).
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $37,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Sustain and expand virtual Health and Wellness classes, Senior’s Check-In, and Good Beginnings program as well as create virtual studio space to create content for isolated seniors and women facing barriers to inclusion across Hamilton, Burlington, and Oakville.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $56,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support the coordination of the Virtual Check In program that provides proactive virtual outreach and peer support to 100 LGBTQIA+ young people across Hamilton
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $44,600
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
PHASE 4: Local Love in a Global Crisis
Open to other non-profit and charitable organizations beyond those currently supported by UWHH, focused on serving the emergency needs of vulnerable populations affected by COVID-19, through 4 major buckets of Local Love in a Global Crisis Fund. The following 8 agencies received a total of $219,616.81.
The Impact: 12 week Palliative Care Wellness Program will provide mental and physical health support virtually and through in-person services. Each week will provide over 100 palliative patients with at least 5 programs to participate in.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $18,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support positive development of strong emotional and social skills during COVID through development of an online model of learning through the arts for marginalized children – focus on code red neighbourhoods, Halton and Six Nations communities
Community: Hamilton & Halton
Funding Amount: $30,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Communicating in Crisis – will translate service provision materials and core communications into multiple languages spoken in Halton & Hamilton. Will ensure that marginalized and multilingual communities will receive basic needs services, including food safety and health messaging.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $10,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Racial equity report card & outreach – HEDR will conduct a fulsome report on and with BIPOC individuals and communities across Halton on the disproportionate impact of COVID on these communities. Also will provide isolation support, outreach, and increased organizational capacity.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $45,616.81
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: 24 Student Food Hubs will be created to ensure kids living in poverty or without access to consistent food sources will receive free snacks and meals in a safe manner during pandemic.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $45,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Funding will support a database developer to fully transition SACHA’s confidential services online and remote; allowing for safer and more cohesive service provision across the organization.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $8,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Who We Are – Virtual pivot of an outreach, education, and support program for youth in Hamilton (specifically Black youth). Will provide historical knowledge of equitable and culturally-based responses to pandemics and isolation in support of education system, as well as general regional knowledge aimed to empower and support BIPOC youth.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $30,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support the hiring and retention of 4 FTE staffing positions to maintain services in their food bank. These staff will serve hundreds of seniors and those living on low income.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $33,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
PHASE 5: Emergency Community Support Fund – Round 2
*Funded by the Government of Canada
Open to other non-profit and charitable organizations beyond those currently supported by UWHH, focussed on serving the emergency needs of vulnerable populations affected by COVID-19. This round was guided by a directive to prioritize Disabled, Asian (BIPOC generally), and linguistic minority groups. The majority of these applications referenced impact in these communities, and many focus specifically on them. Details around these impacts and breakdown of demographics will be provided.
Through a single intake coordinated across funding intermediaries, United Way Halton & Hamilton reviewed 65 applications in this round of funding, totalling $2,439,927. Intake is now closed. Investment decisions have been made, granting 42 projects through 40 agencies across Halton & Hamilton with a collective total of $1,120,368.
The Impact: Support expansion of 3 COVID-19 response programs: in-home respite care, activity kit provision, and virtual programming.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $40,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Will support wages, materials and supplies to provide healthy meals to at-risk Hamiltonians and support food preparation skills training.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $79,150
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support the purchase of medical equipment and assistive devices for 2 individuals to live safely in their own homes.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $3,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Continue partnership with Food for Life to provide meals to clients, including referrals to other services & art materials provision.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $5,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Back on Track pilot program for marginalized youth; will support youth through food and art, providing meals, cooking classes, connection and activities.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $15,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Serve the autistic community with programming, experiential learning, and consultation/appointments.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $20,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Virtual peer support bereavement group for teens and youth, using therapeutic tools and connection for at-risk demographic.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $10,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will support 469 individuals with transportation services to critical medical appointments in a safe manner. Agency has increased safety measures and therefore costs due to pandemic.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $10,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provide services including transportation and basic needs to isolated senior Congolese refugees and immigrants.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $37,290
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will support retrofitting, cleaning, staffing and materials to re-open and expand their programs.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $50,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Increase in peer support resources, virtual wellness groups, and one-on-one support marginalized people experiencing mental health and/or addictions concerns.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $10,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Will support their Drive2Delivery program, providing essential items to individuals living with cancer in Hamilton.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $42,615
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Virtual Companionship Program will continue and expand to serve 10-20 additional children with complex medical needs through virtual social interaction, providing a range of accessible program activities.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $10,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will build, furnish, and provide activities for 3 outdoor partial enclosures to allow for visits between their 65 residents and their families. Staff will be building these to support this endeavour.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $30,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will provide respite to 20 families who have provided 24/7 care for their child(ren) with intellectual disabilities and complex needs through the pandemic. Staff time, respite activities, and hotel stays for caregivers will be provided.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $28,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will provide 50 community agencies with training and education services to respond to systemic racism and provide more culturally conscious and safe front-line services.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $34,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Virtual buddies program will connect people who have a developmental disability in the Burlington community to remote volunteers, through staff hiring and program support.
*Will be co-funded by Burlington Community Foundation
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $52,700
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Providing equipment for vulnerable children & youth with disabilities, needing additional support & equipment during pandemic.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $15,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will replace their IT server, allowing their to serve their clients effectively, especially during the remote work of the pandemic.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $21,291
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Will provide newcomer, racialized, and marginalized families/individuals with access to or provision of technology in order to support them in education, access to basic needs, and connection during COVID-19. Funds for staffing and direct provision of tech to families.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: The Emergency Food Pantry will provide staffing, items, and other materials to support an additional 400 individuals in need.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $15,350
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Will support individualized learning support for high-needs students with a flexible model to mitigate a growing education gap.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $10,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Providing community outreach and support to Indigenous communities and populations across Halton & Hamilton, by connecting with Elders & resources during isolation.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $35,600
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will go towards the support of their frontline staff with mental health care sessions and resources.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $9,600
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support staff and program costs for a virtual grief counselling program for teens. Will purchase activity kits and provide staff time.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $10,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Will enhance and increase their drop-in and community supports for homeless and at-risk youth in Hamilton, through wages, materials, outreach via van, and otherwise.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $80,316
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Provide virtual support to children and families who are low income. Funding will support a dedicated staff to create content, delivery and outreach to reach 1,200 additional clients.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $25,342
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Funding will allow NYC to continue their group therapy program virtually, for free, for children with mental health and social issues.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $35,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Will fund staff person to manage calls from vulnerable people over 10 weeks, coordinating services, referrals, and PPE to those callers.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $3,770
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Pets for Life Program will enhance the shelter’s ability to provide comprehensive wrap-around care to the community and their pets by providing people with pet food including delivery; partnering with Kerr Street Missions.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $13,936
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will provide 13 individuals with complex mental and physical disabilities with adaptive equipment to support virtual connection.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $42,770
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Enhance and expand virtual sport-specific programming for Ontarians with disabilities, in collaboration with Halton & Hamilton sports organizers.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $5,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Provide trauma-informed educational support to vulnerable youth in marginalized communities in Hamilton & Oakville, experiencing drastic learning gaps due to COVID-19.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $15,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will provide support for production costs, wages and supplies for a virtual pivot of a local literacy program focused on diverse representation.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $15,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will purchase a large, used SUV to support the Project Coordinator in making more and larger deliveries of essential baby items.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $13,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will support staff, programming, and professional fees to expand their in-person and virtual services supporting most-vulnerable individuals in Hamilton with mental health and addictions issues.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $75,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will provide membership to an online portal for virtual art programs for seniors living in care and not in care. Also will provide materials and supplies.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $4,935
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Will provide technological devices to clients and peer volunteers to support virtual programming. Will also increase security and safety for vulnerable clients.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $14,500
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Will support the extension of the kitchen/food container and operations coordinator positions, including the cost of food for meal prep.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $28,440
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Support Seniors Outreach Program and Wesley Day Centre – additional staff hours, program materials, and enhanced cleaning.
Community: Halton/Hamilton
Funding Amount: $60,585
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Supporting homeless and low income women with hygiene and health resources and information to keep them safe during the pandemic this winter, through Carol Anne’s place and transitional living shelters.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $7,400
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
PHASE 6: Local Love in a Global Crisis – Round 3
The focus of this round of emergency funding was to support those agencies providing critical basic needs programming to marginalized community members. This funding was for those agencies providing/delivering food, hygiene, technology, those providing shelter (including day programming, transitional living and longer term residential services), those providing therapeutic treatment (such as addictions counselling), and those providing critical transportation services.
The minimum grant amount was $5,000 and the maximum grant amount that could be requested was $25,000. United Way Halton & Hamilton received 28 applications totalling $585,000. The following 26 agencies are recommended to receive $500,000 (divided evenly between Halton and Hamilton).
The Impact: Continue the CMHA Street Team program that connects with people living in encampments and shelter drop-ins (i.e. Carol Anne’s Place and Willow’s Place). The role aims to reduce barriers and increase access to mental health and addictions treatment/supports, and primary care in collaboration with the Shelter Health Network.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Support the Senior Connector Leadership program with the IT resources it needs to introduce seniors, especially those that are homebound, to technology using peer-learning and enables their participation in virtual programming.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $10,000
The Impact: The funds will be utilized to help supplement the food and hygiene costs for our clients, especially our residential clients. Their low-income budgets and rising food costs has made it challenging for people to consistently eat a healthy & balanced diet.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Support staffing costs to continue offering high quality support for the people with disabilities living in our congregate living settings. This would support staff wellbeing as frontline workers are facing burnout due to the staffing demands, shortages, etc.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $24,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: No
The Impact: Purchasing of laptops to enable staff to work remotely and purchasing of safety equipment (PPE and rapid tests) to enable staff and volunteers to work in the community. These will ensure continuation of services including counselling, caregiver support, meals on wheels & frozen meals, volunteer visiting, and transportation to medical appointments and grocery shopping).
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $19,000
The Impact: Cover staffing costs, daily food costs, grocery cards, and exit kits for women we support who may be homeless, low income, experiencing mental health challenges, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+. Costs have significantly increase as the agency has increased our homeless single women’s bed count to 20 from 8.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Funds will assist in hiring an additional staff member and acquire a laptop for client access. This would enable expansion of drop in programming which provides case management, hot meals, hygiene kits, computer access, harm reduction and addictions counselling to vulnerable women.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Stocking the Emergency Food Pantry with groceries and hygiene items for clients experiencing food insecurity. Support for staffing, and provision of cleaning supplies, PPE, and health and safety supplies/equipment.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $14,000
Agency also supported by UWHH Community Fund: Yes
The Impact: Support for the ACCESS PROGRAM – ongoing support for newcomer and racialized families to access food, household, hygiene supplies, and technology in order to promote health and wellbeing and access to education and learning.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Hire a staff person to run a bag packing program which provides food to 3200 households each week. This would help alleviate staff capacity issues and allow them to resume projects such as Good Soup or Accessible Food.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $23,000
The Impact: Support staff and administration costs essential to ensure current HFFT programming can continue as the agency is incurring increasing cost of non-perishable, pre-packaged foods permitted in our adapted “grab and go” style programs.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $20,000
The Impact: Run a 29-day cycle of live-in integrated addiction and trauma treatment for 6 local men which would prevent putting the Men’s Live-In Program into temporary closure. This funding would cover overhead (fixed/variable), staffing and program materials (food, hygiene) for the men in this cycle.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Support youth, adults and families with food stability, accessing technology and technology support, weather appropriate clothing, personal hygiene items (including period kits) and PPE. This would enable clients to attend school, conduct job searching and attend court virtually (preventing additional charges from being added to their cases).
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $10,000
The Impact: Update the configuration and technology of our Halton Hills classrooms to support a variety of learners (including low income, newcomers, and persons with disabilities) needs by providing socially distanced workstations with adequate space to learn, skill build, and access employment.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $5,000
The Impact: Support staffing and purchasing of a laptop to increase the hours offered by the Infant Food Bank program and meet the increasing food security demands of marginalized families across Halton.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $23,000
The Impact: Cover Oakville Meals on Wheels rising food costs (including packaging and delivery) and help maintain quality meal standards so fixed income, often isolated client base, can access subsidized service which also include wellness checks.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $14,000
The Impact: Assist with transportation and appropriate winter clothing for newcomer families who access Welcome Home program (for newcomer and racialized families). Cover some costs of childcare programming for parents, especially job seekers so they can secure reliable employment.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $10,000
The Impact: Support women (who are often isolated/experiencing low income) on their healing journey by providing basic needs, food, hygiene products and PPE. This would reduce financial burden and alleviate stress so survivors of violence can focus on their healing.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $10,000
The Impact: Purchasing of bulk food and hygiene items that meets dietary, cultural and unique needs of clients (e.g. sugar free, low sodium foods, Depends). Enable agency to meet increased demand for these goods from seniors and isolated individuals in the community.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Increase counselling hours to be able to serve 30-40 more clients and reduce waitlist times. This would relieve some pressure on staff and support their wellbeing as a growing waitlist of clients with mental health/addictions challenges results in worsening of clients situations and emotional burden on staff.
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $15,000
The Impact: Bringing in a coordinator to support: food bank operations and grocery deliver program, volunteer coordination and training, and allow for greater access to on site resources (including access to free clothing, hygiene products, apartment supplies) to support individuals who are isolated, living rough, or experiencing low income.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $20,000
The Impact: Staffing and infrastructure costs for HATS (Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters), a community collaboration that includes the SPRC, HRPR, HCLC, faith groups and other partners looking to tackle homelessness in practical ways. Funding would help set up warm and safe tiny cabins for those living unhoused in Hamilton with wrap-around support services provided to residents..
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Cover both operational (salaries, rent, zoom fees) and program delivery costs so agency can offer counselling, legal aid, peer support, and other inquiries such as hygiene products to women (priority populations including racialized, those living rough/homeless, and Indigenous women).
Community: Halton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Ability to cover the increased staffing costs to run the food bank which provides dignified food hampers to those experiencing low income, newcomers, those who may be living rough, and seniors. Support for custodial services to ensure health and safety measures are met.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $19,000
The Impact: Purchase and provision of meals to homeless individuals, children and refugees that attend Wesley programming (including the Day Centre and Youth Housing) especially culturally appropriate food (e.g. Halal).
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $24,000
The Impact: Support for the Social Worker and Mental Health Support Worker to manage the 174 residents living at the YMCA Men’s Residence which provides transitional, affordable and safe housing to many who face mental health and addiction challenges.
Community: Hamilton
Funding Amount: $24,000