THUNDER BAY – Usually the United Way of Thunder Bay comes up with a unique way to unveil its annual campaign goal each year.
There’s music and bright lights and plenty of hoopla as the campaign breakfast winds down, culminating in a multi-million-dollar ask.
This year, there was none of that.
Instead, organizers left money out of the equation all together, choosing to focus on starting a community conversation about the social issues faced by many of those living in Thunder Bay. Using #unignorable, this year’s co-campaign chairs are hopeful that by starting the conversation and drawing light to the social ills in the city, that meaningful solutions will be found.
Angela Beaucage said it’s a bold plan, but one she’s convinced will work.
“Some of the issues that we’ve discussed this morning, and will carry through our campaign under unignorable, are issues like mental health, social isolation, homelessness, hunger, etc.,” she said.
Co-chair Andrew Richert said the hashtag brings forward the fact that people have been overlooking the issues for far too long.
“So now, let’s talk about it. Let’s get the conversation going. We’re at the ground floor now and we have nowhere to go but up,” he said.
Focusing on the most vulnerable in the community, rather than where they’re at on a fundraising chart, brings true meaning to the campaign, Beaucage added.
“If we are looking for something to quantify or measure, we want to start tackling the issues of homelessness, mental health and addictions that are plaguing Thunder Bay,” she said. “We need everybody in the community to get involved and join our conversation.”
Abi Sprakes, manager of psychotherapy and trauma services at Thunder Bay Counselling, said the new approach is fantastic, an opportunity to create meaningful dialogue about the issues facing many in Thunder Bay and the importance of coming together as a community in collaboration to solve them.
“For instance, we’re looking at high rates of domestic violence. We’re looking at homelessness and unemployment. These are really critical issues that in order for our community to be healthy, we need to come together and have that conversation,” said Sprakes, whose organization is in part funded by the United Way of Thunder Bay.
“These issues are unignorable.”
She’s confident the change in direction will work.
“People are looking to give back to something that is meaningful, that they know their donor dollars make a difference in our community and I think this morning was an example of exactly what happens with that money.”
