NEWSMAKERS: Zanotti leads charge for United Way of York Region

YorkRegion.com
Dec. 31, 2014
Chris Traber

It’s been a year of “intentional collaboration,” United Way of York Region CEO Daniele Zanotti said, summarizing the agency’s feats and challenges in 2014.

The operational theme for the agency supporting some 41 major regional non-profit social service providers was adopted at United Way’s annual general meeting in June, Zanotti said.

“We made a commitment to involve more residents, agencies and associations in our work,” he said.

“The status quo is not sustainable. We need to delve deeper and across boundaries.”

As the year draws to an end, United Way has delivered, he said, citing community alliances in our nine municipalities.

The agency’s Strength Investments initiative, a focus on specific neighbourhoods in need, offered help to East Gwillimbury and Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Network North, a broad based multi-sector collaborative to build community capacity and strengthen social infrastructure in East Gwillimbury, received $22,500 in Strength Investments funding.

In May, as part of In Every Neighbourhood, United Way announced Strength Investments funding for WS YOU 177, a project that brings together youth and seniors to solve local issues in Whitchurch-Stouffville.

“Local groups, residents and businesses all worked with us to provide support,” he said.

In conjunction with the region’s human services planning board, United Way was involved in the Making Rental Happen program.

That kick-started important dialogue about the need for affordable housing between municipalities, hospitals and faith groups, he said.

Earlier this month, a partnership between United Way, the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and York University’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit launched Leaving Home: Youth Homelessness in York Region.

The study brought together York’s boards of education, York Region Police and, perhaps most importantly, young people living on our streets, he said.

The co-operative approach was also applied to Zanotti’s agency working with other United Way organizations in and around the GTA. “We looked internally to determine how we can do more by working together,” he said of the peer partnerships. “We’re all facing the same issues in our geographies.”

Last year, United Way announced a major departure from its traditional fundraising model.

Rather than embarking on an annual campaign as it did in 2012, raising a record $7.4 million, Zanotti unveiled an ambitious three-year, $30-million initiative. The 36-month drive concludes in Aug. 2016.

While Zanotti knows the status of the fundraising campaign, he’s coy, saying the dollar amounts are under wraps until United Way’s annual celebration event Jan. 22.

His wish for 2015 is continued co-operation.

“We hope to pursue this spirit of collaboration so we can have greater impact in all our communities,” he said.

“It’s not about United Way. It’s about everything and anything we can do collaboratively to achieve success in our neighbourhoods.”

United Way York Region has been ensuring help is available when individuals and families in our region need it most.

Through program support and core funding, United Way agencies run some 100 programs across the region — frontline help to meet the immediate and changing needs of our community.

Your dollars are also being targeted to three community priorities: helping our kids be all they can be, moving people from poverty to possibility and creating strong, healthy neighbourhoods.

SIDEBAR

You can support the United Way of York Region by calling 905-474-9974, ext. 242, donating online or sending a cheque to UWYR, 80F Centurian Dr., Ste. 200, Markham, ON L3R 8C1.