On September 20, 2018, residents from across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley celebrated United Way Day by showing us something we’ve known all along: that they’re one in a million!
Members of BCAA’s Community Engagement Team celebrate United Way Day at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
In recognition of this fact, we formally launched an ambitious new goal: to inspire 1 million people to engage in acts of local love, across our communities, by 2025.
Students and Seymour the Sea Otter at the University of the Fraser Valley.
Local love in action
Kicking things off in style, community members came out to both the Vancouver Art Gallery and the University of the Fraser Valley to take part in hands-on activities, like building snack packs for local children (sponsored by BCAA) and writing letters to lonely seniors (sponsored by Odlum Brown Limited) – two ‘acts’ that take little time but that will have a meaningful impact on vulnerable community members.
Packing snack packs for local kids on United Way Day.
Ryan Sudds, a local filmmaker who lives in Vancouver’s West End, wrote a post card to his parents.
“I let them know how important they are to me, which is not something I do enough, so it was really nice to take a moment to do that,” he said. “I think one thing we can do to make our communities better is to actively care about them and take part in them, which is why I’m taking part in United Way Day.”
For Kelly Malcolmson, connecting with her community is part of her job, and participating in United Way Day was a way to take it a step further.
“I think that we could all work on openness and being understanding of other peoples’ situations,” she said. “It’s important to do little things – like pack a snack for a kid – because it’s a way for me to make a connection with someone I wouldn’t have the chance to.”
Christina Lee speaks to the crown outside of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
United Way Day also featured important reflections from powerful speakers, including Christina Lee, a local volunteer who has seen seniors’ lives transformed from a United Way Seniors’ Active Aging program.
Local love starts here
Residents from across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley also formally pledged to be a part of the one-million goal, recognizing how one act of kindness can in turn can inspire others, setting off a positive feedback loop.
A Vancouver resident takes part in United Way Day, sharing her thoughts on an issue in her community.
“We want to show that it doesn’t matter how big or small, every act of local love makes a difference,” said Jeff Calbick, Vice President of Social Impact at United Way British Columbia.
Jeff Calbick speaks with Michael Newman of Global BC Community.
While a celebratory affair, the event also highlighted how more than 25,000 local seniors don’t have anyone to talk to, and almost one in 10 kids says they don’t think an adult cares about them.
Local children high five Seymour the Sea Otter on United Way Day.
“Local kids are vulnerable, and seniors are increasingly isolated,” added Calbick. “These are unignorable issues in our community that we have the power to transform, together.”
Across our communities
September 20, 2018 was also officially proclaimed “United Way Day” by 13 local municipalities, whose diverse residents both support and benefit from United Way programs.
Vancouver city hall lit up in red in recognition of United Way Day on September 20, 2018.
By nightfall, several community hubs were light up red in honour of United Way, including Vancouver City Hall, B.C. Place, North Vancouver City Hall, Port Coquitlam City Hall, the New Westminster Anvil Centre, and the Civic Hotel in Surrey.
BC Place is lit up red in celebration of United Way Day across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
The day also marked the kick-off to United Way’s annual fundraising campaign, for which individual donors, workplaces, unions and other organizational partners raise millions to invest locally.
Show us that you are one in a million! Join the Acts of Local Love movement today!