United Way NWT will distribute $265K to non-profits

An Ulukhaktok food bank, a meal program at Hay River’s shelter and an expanded Tulita community garden are among beneficiaries of United Way NWT funding in 2023.

United Way on Tuesday announced the non-profits that will receive money from its annual Community Investment Fund this year. A total of $265,000 is being distributed.

Two projects will start receiving multi-year funding of $15,000 per year: the Ulukhaktok food bank, which will provide people with food hampers twice a month, and the Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities, which will offer “healthy meals to Hay River’s vulnerable population through their homeless shelter, warming centre, street outreach and support services,” United Way said in a press release.

The Hay River Family Support Centre’s multi-year funding will continue.

Twenty-six groups will receive single-year grants. Here are the descriptions United Way provided for those projects:

• CDÉTNO – Empowering NWT jobseekers by alleviating financial barriers through provision of clothing and work gear
• Children First Society – Physical literacy weekly program open for all children 0-6 and their caregivers
• Community Garden Society of Inuvik – Community vegetable gardening
• Diocese of the Arctic – Providing food weekly to 30 families
• Ecology North – School programs helping kids to experience local food production and healthy eating habits
• Food First – Providing funding and resources to NWT schools for cooking programs, Taste Makers or to support their own cooking programs
• Food Rescue – Operational costs to collect food and redistribute to non-profits and charities across the NWT
• Foster Family Coalition – Volunteers work with youth who have been placed in the foster care system to help build skills and have fun
• Hay River Soup Kitchen – To provide meals, personal care items and other needs to low-income residents in Hay River
• Hay River Youth Centre – Education, health, recreation programs for youth
• Home Base Yellowknife – Providing safe and supportive housing for youth
• Inclusion NWT – To support increased community inclusion activities for teens and adults with intellectual and other disabilities
• Inuvik Youth Centre – Drop-in facility offering free licensed daycare, education, recreational and cultural programming
• Kátł’odeeche First Nation – Free lunches to community members
• Northern Mosaic Network – Full-time staff member to run programming
• NWT Literacy Council – Dolly Parton library mails books directly to children 0-5 years old each month
• Special Olympics – Increase awareness of the community in sports opportunities available to those NWT residents with intellectual disabilities
• St Vincent de Paul – To increase the voucher amount for food for clients
• The Tree of Peace Friendship Centre – Wellness sessions focused on art, culture, land-based programming
• Incorporated Hamlet of Tulita – Expansion of a community garden along with year-round growing and composting
• West Point First Nation – Food vouchers for 27 households
• Girl Guides of Canada, Yellowknife District – Operations and maintenance to bring back camping for youth
• Yellowknife Playschool Association – Outdoor forest and nature school activities
• Yellowknife Women’s Society – Promote education, social and emotional health for newcomers
• YK1 – Funds to support a hide camp for Grade 6 students
• YWCA NWT – Providing low-income clients with options for culturally appropriate, nutritious and affordable food

United Way said donations from the Public Service Alliance of Canada and Union of Northern Workers social justice fund, plus the Eggenberger family, had enabled the funding of nine extra single-year initiatives and one extra multi-year initiative.

The group also thanked the Marie and Otto Pick Foundation, the RBC Foundation, the GNWT workplace campaign and the Government of Canada’s workplace charitable campaign.