The United Way serving Saint John, Kings, and Charlotte brings people and organizations together to build vibrant neighborhoods and strengthen our community. Our roles are multiple: we are a funder, partner, convener, and advocate.
There are over 80 United Ways in Canada, and we are each autonomous. However, we are all part of the same brand and work within the same framework: helping kids be all that they can be; moving people from poverty to possibility; and building strong communities. Each United Way has its own independent board of directors made up of local volunteers from diverse backgrounds who make the decisions on the directions for the United Way.
We help build better futures for everyone in our community! United Way Saint John, Kings & Charlotte is generating systemic change for poverty reduction and creating strong local communities for all.
We collaborate, advocate, and invest in pro-active solutions to lift people out of poverty and prevent people from entering into poverty. By focusing on education, children’s success, mental health supports, and a strong network of community supports, we are creating foundations for brighter futures. United, we can all make a difference.
Instead of focusing on one single program, we focus on many programs to better help the community as a whole. This way, your donation not only goes to the needs that everyone is aware of but also to those that are less obvious — but no less important.
We make sure help is available: whether it is helping low wage workers get mental health support; providing shelter and counselling to a woman fleeing an abusive relationship; or giving low-income children access to quality learning so they are ready to excel in school. This level of help is possible because nearly 5,000 people from our region generously make donations. They know their gift helps our whole community, including people they know, because the money raised here stays here.
In the same way all kinds of people support the United Way, all kinds of people help the United Way decide how to strategically invest your money. Local volunteers review requests for funding from local non-profits. This team looks for evidence of quality programming, good governance, and program outcomes.
Letters Patent incorporating the “United Fund of Greater Saint John Inc.” were granted on April 9th, 1959, by the provincial secretary treasurer, Hon. D.D. Patterson, the application for a charter having been submitted by C. Douglas Kirby, Joshua Lieberman, Philip W. Oland, David Reevey, and Thomas S. Simms, who thereupon became the provisional directors.That first year, the combined budgets of 20 ‘welfare agencies’ amounted to $286 000, our first goal.
Click here to see our history in photos
59 years and $54 Million dollars later, our United Way now serves Charlotte, Kings, and Saint John Counties, there are hundreds of social charities within our region, and donors needs and interests have evolved.