A small corner of the No Frills parking lot was taken up by the Association of Communities Against Abuse (ACAA) and Heartland Youth Center (HYC) on Friday, Sept. 30, as these two organizations came together in an effort to raise funds and express their gratitude to United Way.
“For the past seven years, our two agencies have held a barbecue fundraiser as a way to give back to United Way from the community in which we operate,” said Stephanie Hadley, program director at ACAA. “It also provides an opportunity for us to raise awareness about the important role that United Way plays by supporting us in what we do.”
Even though the strong winds and chill kept people away till noon, lunch time was quite busy as smokies and hot dogs were served along with drinks by donation.
Hadley said that ACAA attends some of the United Way events from time to time, including United Way kick-offs, annual general meetings and other celebrations when possible.
The United Way funds both ACAA’s therapy and in-school prevention programs.
“Both these areas truly benefit from the funds, because it allows us to reach clients and students that are not funded under any other source,” added Hadley.
According to Winnie Bissett, executive director of HYC, the United Way generously contributes to both these Stettler agencies, not only in terms of financial support but by providing networking and training opportunities; linking agencies with resources such as furniture and equipment, besides volunteer support.
“This Wednesday, HYC will benefit from two Nova staff who are volunteering their time for United Way through their Employee Days of Caring,” said Bissett. “These awesome volunteers are going to do some maintenance and repairs around the HYC.”
The United Way funding that HYC receives supports the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program.
“This year’s theme for the United Way fundraising campaign is ‘Together we are possibility’ and ties in perfectly with the increasing need of volunteers for the BBBS program in our community,” added Bissett. “As a ‘Big’ you can make a difference in the life of a child – your gift of time and mentoring can make possibility a reality for a child.”