The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

UWO hopes survey leads to social changeBy Angela Blackburnestablish focus groups and work to develop what OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFit dubs a community initiative based on which it will partner with other community organiza-While the United Way of Oakville (UWO),tions, donors and government to address the like many other non-profit agencies, may ask itsissue.supporters to dig deeper when it comes toFor more than 50 years, the UWO has served donating, so, too, will it.a vital role in the community by raising and On Monday, April 18, the UWO will attemptdistributing money to a network of charities to dig deeper into the community in a bid toworking in the community to assist citizens in is looking for input on what the social issues aretional funding or better leveraging of its contactsconnect with that community and find outneed.in the community.and networking with community agencies thatwhat the issues are.A vast array of human services has been Not so, according to Chandra Hardeen, UWOwould be used as a resource to tackle emergingIt will ask how Oakville could be better.enabled while the UWO works to highlight and director of Community Impact, who said theissues.It will do so by launching an online survey of draw attention to problems faced by members of UWO is not looking to verify its current fund-We will be conducting a survey of thethe community that should last a few weeks andthe community.ing.Oakville community and asking whats on peo-then be followed by focus groups.Now we need to do more, said Brown.Instead, it is looking to explore new issues,ples minds, what the people in Oakville view asThe survey will be e-mailed to anyone on theIn many ways, our decision to strive so emerging trends or potential areas for expansiona healthy community and what needs to be doneUWO contact list. It will be available through itsdeliberately for impact in the community is a of services.to accomplish this, said Ashley Brown, UWOwebsite at www.uwoakville.org and on itsreturn to our rootsUnited Way was founded It will ask its member agencies, as well asmanager of marketing and communication.Facebook page.on the principle of mobilizing others to solve everyone else, to provide opinion and make sug-Hardeen said the UWO wants to hear fromAnyone who wants to access a hard copy of community problems, said Brown.gestions.people who live in town, work in town, orthe survey can do so by calling the UWO at 905-We recognize we cannot change the root The entire exercise is being billed as the firstboth.845-5571 or by stopping by at 466 Speers Rd.cause of our social problems alone. For our step in a community engagement process toWe know what weve been hearing, saidThe survey itself will provide opportunity fordonors, we enable more than giving. We offer help identify areas for action and an agenda toHardeen, noting some issues have been surfac-people to submit their names and contact infor-opportunities to connect and take part in shap-achieving meaningful change.ing notwithstanding the long-held percep-mation if they are interested in taking part in aing their community for the better. We will look Such expansion would not come at the sacri-tion, or incorrectly held perception, that anfollowup focus group.to our funded agencies as partners in a collective fice of currently-funded agencies, assuredaffluent community such as Oakville doesntThe survey which should take about 10 toeffort to create opportunities for a better life for Hardeen.have the same problems as others.15 minutes to complete will assist the UWOeveryone in our town, said Brown.We have no intention to remove fundingThose issues include poverty, mental healthdevelop a community initiative in hopes of United Way will continue to support our from current agencies in order to do it, sheissues, seniors issues and abuse behind closedachieving tangible social change.currently funded agencies. This new community said.doors, said Hardeen.It may seem odd that a social service umbrel-initiative is an addition to the already great work Rather, Hardeen outlined it may be addi-After the survey results are in, the UWO willla agency that funds more than 30 local agenciesthat they do, said Brown.www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, April 15, 2011 22