Jerilyn’s Story

Putting Empathy to Work

Jerilyn never intended to be a social worker. As a psychology undergraduate student looking to build practical skills, she started volunteering at Distress Centre Calgary, a United Way–supported agency, nearly two decades ago. The experience changed the direction of her life.

An opportunity to volunteer for the agency’s 24-hour crisis telephone line, which helps people experiencing any level of distress, inspired Jerilyn to pursue a master’s degree in social work and a leadership role in the “helping profession.”

Today, she works as the agency’s executive director, providing leadership to a team of dedicated and compassionate staff and volunteers, many of whom have experienced their own personal struggles.

“We’ve all faced adversity in the past—including me,” says Jerilyn. “There were times, growing up in a small town, when I didn’t have anyone to talk to.”

When Jerilyn learned about the agency’s crisis line and on-site counselling services, she was amazed. “To be able to call a line where you know someone is there waiting for your call—that would have meant the world to me. To not feel so alone at that time,” she says.

In fact, this vital community resource for people from all walks of life is what inspired Jerilyn to put her own experiences to work for the benefit of others. She’s incredibly grateful to United Way donors, like you, who are helping to ensure that help is there—when and where it’s needed—for many of the one in five people who will struggle with a mental illness in any given year.

“I definitely wouldn’t be the person that I am today without the Centre,” Jerilyn says. “This is not only a career; it’s part of who I am as a person.”

Dawn’s Story

How one woman found safety, community and belonging

A place to feel safe—and to belong. After fleeing an abusive relationship, Dawn worried she might never be able to get the fresh start she so desperately needed. She felt overwhelmed, alone and hopeless and couldn’t imagine a better future for herself. “I didn’t think my life was going to improve,” she says.

After moving to a new community in Winnipeg’s north end, Dawn connected with the Andrews Street Family Centre, a family resource centre supported by United Way donors like you. There, she found what she was seeking: safety, belonging and love. “I made connections with good people,” says Dawn. “When I discovered that I was worth something, a whole new world of possibilities opened up.”

The centre—a hub of activity and a vital community resource for local residents—made Dawn and her family feel welcome. She and her grandchildren shared community meals, including soup and bannock lunches, with others at the centre. Soon, Dawn was inspired to give back, and used her skills to connect members of her local community with work opportunities at the centre.

Today, Dawn works as a preschool teacher there and helps children, many of whom share her Indigenous heritage, get a good start in life. It’s a safe and happy place where kids, families and local residents can access all the vital, wraparound supports they need to thrive, including nutritious meals, and Indigenous language and cultural learning. “We help plant the seeds of success,” says Dawn. “I want kids to develop a love of learning so they’ll do better when they get to kindergarten—and to develop skills that will help them throughout their lives.”

Dawn’s sense of hopelessness is long gone. She’s full of ambition and plans for a future she once believed was impossible. The help she received at the centre—and the role she’s learned she can play in the lives of others—has given her a sense of worth and belonging. “When we help each other out, we can make a big difference. That’s the definition of community.”

Angie’s Story

How a party bus is changing senior citizens’ lives

Angie always thought of herself as active and social. But the unexpected death of her husband—followed by personal health problems, mobility issues and limited income—left her feeling isolated and alone. “You wonder, Where do I go from here? What do I do? What do I have to look forward to?”

Then Angie found the answer: Let’s Walk and Roll, a United Way–supported seniors’ program offered by Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Services Society in the Lower Mainland. Affectionately known as the “Seniors’ Party Bus,” the program offers excursions to local seniors twice a month, with door-to-door pick-up and drop-off, plus lunch or dinner.

“The outings are precious to me,” says Angie, who has limited transportation options. “I’m excited when I’m able to get out to be with other people and to go to different places, including parks, restaurants and local attractions.”

For seniors like Angie, it means so much to be able to participate in these outings safely and at no cost. “Many of us are on pensions, and pensions are very limited,” she says. “Every $10 or $15 makes a huge difference. It’s nice to take advantage of Let’s Walk and Roll without having to worry.”

Thanks to the program, Angie has rediscovered her adventurous side. And her outings have sparked some meaningful relationships with other seniors just like her. It’s vital connections like these—supported by donors like you—that are so important to ensuring seniors remain healthy, active and engaged. These days, Angie has plenty to smile and talk about. “Programs like this make such a difference in a person’s quality of life,” she says.

Grace’s Story

Food for Thought

Grace has spent her life and career caring for others. In addition to raising three children of her own, she has worked in after-school programs and as a caregiver for families in her community. To many, she is considered a second mother—a wonderful legacy for someone whose own mother left her at an early age.

Born in Italy during the war, Grace experienced a childhood marked by scarcity and uncertainty. “I remember lining up for food with my mother and younger brother,” she says. When she married, Grace and her husband wanted a fresh start. They moved to Canada with their daughter in search of a better life.

The couple had two more children and did their best to settle into their new community and learn a new language. When Grace’s marriage ended at 51, she was forced to start over yet again. To help support her three teenagers, she took a job working for a children’s program at a local recreation centre. It was a perfect fit—and soon Grace became even more engaged in her community.

Today Grace is a retired senior living alone, like many others in the region. A United Way–funded initiative—the YWCA Halifax Food First program—has provided a vital lifeline and community connection for Grace. The program educates women—most of them seniors—about nutrition, healthy living and cooking on a budget. Each week, a group of participants gather to share a meal and to discuss their health and well-being.

Grace sees the program, supported by donors like you, as an important source of companionship as well as information. “I’m learning from people every day. There’s always a friend there. We all have something to give.”

There have been health benefits, too. Grace, who once struggled with high cholesterol and high blood pressure, says the Food First program has increased her nutritional knowledge and improved her physical condition.

She even does some of her local grocery shopping at another United Way–supported initiative called the Mobile Food Market. This initiative works to bring fresh, high-quality, affordable foods to neighbourhoods experiencing food insecurity through pop-up markets or produce packs. Grace, who has no car, appreciates the chance to get healthy ingredients close to home. “When I was born, during the war, there was no food, so we went in line for food,” she says. “Now the food comes to me—how great is that?”

Rama’s Story

The Language of Community

Rama and her husband, Fares, knew it was time to re-locate to Canada from Syria when it became increasingly dangerous to even walk out their front door. “We often went through long periods without water or electricity,” Rama recalls. “When I did have to leave the house, I would say goodbye to my daughter and I would never know if I would come back or not.” The couple felt scared and increasingly hopeless as they waited four long years for their immigration and refugee application to be approved.

When they learned that their new home would be Montreal, they immediately signed up for French classes—despite the risks. For months they travelled to school as the world outside their door became more and more dangerous.

When the family finally arrived in Montreal, it was huge relief. But they quickly realized they’d need more help to settle in to their new home.

“It’s very difficult to come to a new country where you don’t know the language,” says Rama, who taught at a local university prior to arriving in Canada. “We had to get around and try to understand all the documents we had to fill out. There are so many things you need to do when you arrive, and this wasn’t always easy.”

Fortunately, they met some fellow Syrians in their community who told them about CARI St-Laurent, a United Way agency that provides information, support and a variety of services to newcomers including childcare and settlement services. “We took French classes for eight months, full-time,” says Rama. “Our daughter went to daycare at the agency, so Fares and I were able to learn French as quickly as possible. It was a little stressful, but we chose to see the experience as an opportunity for our family.”

The agency also helped Rama and Fares, who worked as a lawyer in his home country, fill out forms, access health care, get insurance and complete many other important administrative tasks that come with moving to a new country. But Rama is especially grateful for the social aspects of the agency’s programming. “The projects and programs here not only help newcomers integrate into the community, they also help Quebeckers get to know us,” says Rama. “It lets us meet people here and talk about our different cultures—and we can practice our French!”

“When I think of the future now, I have hope,” adds Rana, who is incredibly grateful to United Way donors like you who are helping new Canadians just like her receive a warm welcome.