United Way Cape Breton
245 Charlotte Street B1P 1C4 Sydney, NS, Canada

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day. A day to create awareness around the importance of mental health. Now more than ever, we need to make sure we are checking on our family, friends and neighbours. These are unprecedented times. Remember, you are not alone! Help is a phone call away. Dial 211 to access local mental health resources in your area or visit ns.211.ca #BellLetsTalk #mentalhealthawareness

For today's #FundingFriday post, we'd like to highlight a COVID-19 relief program, we invested in from April until the end of June 2020. We worked closely with New Dawn and the Good Food Bus, as well as several community groups, to provide Good Food Packs to vulnerable community members, across CBRM, who were food insecure during the heightened State of Emergency in Nova Scotia. Through the Atlantic Compassion Fund, United Way Cape Breton invested funds into this important program. Again, we’d like to thank all the partners who made this program accessible and those who donated to our COVID-19 relief funds. This program was successful due to the many partners who stepped up! Our heartfelt thanks!

For today's #FundingFriday post, we'd like to highlight a COVID-19 relief program, we invested in last April 2020. The Municipality County of Inverness worked closely with Schools Plus, local fire departments and the local food bank to provide grocery hampers to those vulnerable community members who were food insecure during the heightened State of Emergency in Nova Scotia. Through the Atlantic Compassion Fund, United Way Cape Breton invested funds into this important progr...am. Again, we’d like to thank all the partners who made this program accessible and those who donated to our COVID-19 relief funds. It truly does take a village!

Way to Go! A huge thank you to the CB Credit Union that continues to support so many local charities and causes including participating in our workplace giving campaign. We are so fortunate to live in Cape Breton, where so many organizations, like the CB CU, make it a priority to give back!

For the next little while, every Friday, we plan to share a #FundingFriday post to help show impact of dollars raised and received. We’ve expanded our reach significantly, through our COVID-19 relief efforts, helping local community members all across Cape Breton access much-needed social-service supports and resources. Over the course of the last year, through our COVID-19 relief work and our Community Investment funding, we’ve invested just over $900,000 into LOCAL programs, helping 30,000 LOCAL community members across 51 LOCAL communities! We'd be remiss, if we didn't acknowledge and thank all of our funded programs, and partners, and all those who have contributed these dollars! We could not do this important work without your continued and unwavering support!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and all the best for 2021! We look forward to continuing to work together to build strong, healthy, local communities... Thank you for your unwavering support!

A big shout out to the Garbage Night sessions folks for keeping us entertained during these trying times! And thank you so very much for continuing to support amazing local causes. You guys rock!

We’re happy to play a role in helping to connect seniors to meals during these trying times. Keep up the great work, New Dawn!

A huge thank you to Seaside Communications for being such a strong community supporter! We are grateful to live in CB where our local business community cares so deeply for our local community members.

Check out the Good Food Bus on this beautiful sunny Saturday!

We are thrilled to 211 is now available nationwide! As part of its response to COVID-19, the Government of Canada has funded the expansion of 211 services nationwide. 211 is a three digit phone number that can be dialed anywhere in Canada to speak to a live service browser that will listen and localize government and community support services offered nearby to help cope with difficulties. This service is free, confidential and accessible day and night, in more than 150 lang...uages. This resource will help many Canadians from coast to coast to coast find the help they need as we face the consequences of COVID-19. Prime Minister Help starts with 211. #uglycommence

Please take note of time change!

United Way Cape Breton is now accepting applications for the second round of the Emergency Community Support Fund to help charities and non-profit organizations serve and support vulnerable Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is part of the $350 million made available by the Government of Canada and administered by United Way Centraide Canada, Community Foundations of Canada and the Canadian Red Cross in communities from coast to coast to coast. United Way Ca...pe Breton is proud to support this important investment by the Federal Government. From October 5 to October 30, 2020, United Way Cape Breton will be accepting applications for funding. To register for an application click here https://agency.e-cimpact.com/login.aspx?org=UWCB%20 The #ECSFund is administered in collaboration with United Way Centraide Canada and The Government of Canada. Funding from the program will support community organizations to adapt frontline services to better meet the needs of vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Today wear an orange to show a commitment to the fact that #EveryChildMatters. Learn more about Orange Shirt Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3vUqr01kAk&feature=youtu.be https://orangeshirtday.org

Louisbourg and Main-à-Dieu Markets We will be on the road tomorrow, October 1, with lots of fresh fruits and veggies! Louisbourg Fire Hall | 10 11:30 AM... Main-à-Dieu Coastal Discovery Centre | 1:30 3 PM The Good Food Bus program was recently selected as a recipient of the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) of the Government of Canada, administered in collaboration with United Way Cape Breton.

Did you know that 211 Nova Scotia is available in over 150 languages? Newcomers can simply call 211 and can get the help they need in their first language. Do you work with newcomers?Do you know someone new to Nova Scotia? Let them know we're here to help! Learn more https://ns.211.ca/

Fall markets are launching today! See post for details.

The Good Food Bus Fall schedule has been released. See post for details.

Meet Kelcie Burke, one of our Connect Today with United Way tutors. She was kind enough to share her experience with us after having worked with a student on some skill building over the summer months. Kelcie is currently enrolled in the BSc Medical Sciences Program at Dal, but we were lucky enough that she had some free time to contribute to helping our students. I saw the poster for the program circulating around social media and thought it looked like a great opportunity.... I had just finished my first year of university and had some free time on my hands to get involved in something like this. I love working with youth and thought it would not only be a great opportunity to help others, but also something I would enjoy doing. It was nice to be able to have some connection with others and meet new people during times like these, even if it was through a screen Kelcie says. The parent of Kelcie’s tutor was also kind enough to express her gratitude for spending time with her daughter and creating trust: I would definitely recommend the tutoring sessions to other parents. It was so helpful to us, as parents, to have someone who would spend time with our child to help keep up reading skills, especially over the summer months, in our case and to not have to travel to the tutoring session. The children end up meeting someone new with whom they can share experiences while receiving help with their subject. The virtual sessions will only improve their computer skills, as well. -Parent If you’re interested in enrolling your child in our program, you can send an email to [email protected] or call our office at 902-562-5226.

As is often the case, exactly how strong the storm will be when it reaches the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is an unknown, but we have learned from past weather events to not dismiss the destructive power of nature. Be safe. Be alert. Be prepared.

Are you ready for Hurricane Teddy? Here's a great reference novascotia.ca/ale/hurricane-teddy/docs/are-you-ready-EN.pdf

A few more shots from the Sydney swim! Our sincere thanks, once again!

What a great time we had at our last swim of our 6 locations and 4 individual swims, in beautiful Cape Breton swimming in the Bras d'Or Lakes hosted by Bryan D...arrell and the kind and generous Erin and James Forsey, who let us swim from their beautiful property. The water was warm, the air was cold, and the scenery was spectacular! Swimming was Bryan Darrell, Erin Forsey, Deputy Minister Paul LaFleche, Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, Nathan Landry, Joshua Wludyka, Ian McDiarmid and Logan Daye. A big thank you for those who kept our swimmers safe and they were Troy Penney, Mark LeCouter, Jody Lavery, James Forsey, Yvette Landry, D.D. Boudreau, and Betty MacAulay. Cheering the swimmers on were Erin Gallagher from United Way Cape Breton, Brenda MacNeil, Bev Muir and myself And in Cape Breton style, we finished the evening off with pizza, cake and beverages to keep us warm. I think next year this event might challenge our swim in Halifax! Wouldn't that be something!

The Good Food Bus is making a positive impact across CBRM and helping local community members access nutritious, affordable food, while removing barriers!! We are proud to invest in this much-need service and we look forward to continuing to support and partner with the Bus on Fall markets!

As we all know, workplaces and events look very different these days due to COVID-19. We’d like to send our sincerest thanks to those provincial government employees who stepped up and planned and participated in a swim despite having to get creative around planning. Special thanks to Erin Forsey, for allowing use of her home and Bryan and Mary Lou for their planning and strong commitment to these swims each year! You guys are truly the best! United Way CB is so lucky to have such compassionate workplace campaign volunteers!

CONTEST ALERT As we gear up to release our fall schedule, we want to hear what YOU want to see on the Good Food Bus for a chance to win 20 Good Food Bucks! To... enter our contest: Like this post Comment what fruits & veggies you want to see on the Good Food Bus Tag a friend who loves the Good Food Bus as much as you One winner will be randomly chosen on Monday, September 21, and will receive $20 towards their purchase at any Good Food Bus market.