The Queen鈥檚 community has set a new standard in giving, donating more than $450,000 to the university鈥檚 annual campaign in support of the United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.
The fundraising total continues to grow as donations are being accepted through to the end of the year.
Faced with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic Queen鈥檚 staff, faculty, retirees, and students have thrown their support behind the KFL&A community.
A key component to this growth has been the introduction of 鈥楧epartment Champions鈥 across the university who communicate with colleagues and peers to help promote the campaign鈥檚 initiatives and goals and share what it means to support the United Way.
鈥淒espite the challenges of the pandemic and hybrid work environment on a traditional campaign, the hard work by our department champions and our committee shows in this year's amazing total,鈥 says James Ligthart, chair of the Queen鈥檚 United Way Fundraising Campaign Committee. 鈥淭he dedicated group of staff, faculty and retiree volunteers from across the campus make this campaign possible. The total reflects their hard work.鈥
A year after topping $400,000 for the first time, the Queen鈥檚 campaign, the largest workplace campaign for the United Way of KFL&A, continued to grow.
Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane, a member of United Way KFL&A鈥檚 campaign cabinet, hosted a virtual speaker series for Queen鈥檚 taking a closer look at how the United Way of KFL&A and local agencies are addressing the needs of people facing serious issues in our community and how our donations are helping to make a difference.
鈥淚 am proud that so many at Queen鈥檚 gave to this year鈥檚 campaign. The United Way is essential to the health and wellbeing of our community,鈥 Principal Deane says. 鈥淚 am grateful to our supporters at Queen鈥檚 for their generosity particularly in a time when the pandemic is putting a further strain on the services that United Way agencies provide. I would like to personally thank all of our Queen鈥檚 staff, faculty, students, and retirees for contributing to the campaign and to all those who volunteer their time to assist with the work of the many United Way agencies.鈥
Last year, the United Way assisted nearly 80,000 members of the community through 70 agencies and 220 programs.
DONATIONS CONTINUE
As the single largest workplace campaign between Toronto and Ottawa, the Queen鈥檚 community makes a significant difference and helps meet and overcome many challenges faced by the KFL&A community.
Donations to the 2021 Queen鈥檚 United Way Campaign can still be made at .
On Nov. 25, the United Way KFL&A announced that it had exceeded its fundraising goal of $3.8 million.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the United Way KFL&A has seen increased demand across the communities it serves, and service providers facing new and greater challenges.
Donations can also be made to the United Way鈥檚 .
Article originally published in the Queen's Gazette.