United Way Perth Huron hoping for more municipal support

United Way Perth Huron logo.

By John Miner

United Way Perth Huron is hoping South Huron council will increase its support for the agency at the end of the current five-year funding agreement.

Under a 2022 agreement, South Huron has contributed $30,000 each year to United Way Perth Huron.

2026 is the last year covered by the agreement.

In a presentation to council, Ryan Erb, executive director of United Way Perth Huron, expressed gratitude for the past contributions that have allowed the agency to support a wide range of initiatives in the community, including programs to address intimate partner violence, food insecurity, housing and mental health.

“That money has allowed us to leverage a lot of other donations in the community and bring significant value to the community far beyond that investment,” he said

United Way Perth Huron has had preliminary discussions about renewing the agreement with South Huron and hopes the support can be increased above $30,000, Erb said. He did not give a figure for what the organization is looking for from the municipality.

In suggesting an increase, Erb cited the increasing costs to provide services and an increasing demand for services.

As an example, he pointed to the South Huron Connection Centre, a partnership with the Pentecostal Church in Exeter that provides hot meals, food hampers, showers and laundry services. The number of people supported through the South Huron Connection Centre, the first of four to be established in Perth Huron, has doubled year over year.

Last year, United Way opened an Access Centre in South Huron for programs operated by the Huron Perth Children’s Aid Society and The Well Youth Hub. It hopes to add mental health, social services and employment support services to the centre.

The centre is meant to address a challenge that South Huron and other rural communities face, Erb said.

“It’s difficult for us to get clients to the services so we are increasingly trying to bring services to clients.”

Another service supported by United Way Perth Huron in South Huron is Huron Turning Point, a transitional housing program that helps men experiencing homelessness.

Typically, individuals live there for a year and hopefully move to stable housing after that period, Erb said.

“It is exceptional that that program exists right here in the town of Exeter and it’s available for people in the region.”

United Way Perth Huron also backs the free tax clinics across the region.

The main reason people don’t file income tax is they are afraid they will owe the government money, Erb said. Almost every low-income person that has their return done through the program actually receives a refund.

One individual this year received a $17,000 tax credit and a total of $5.6 million was refunded from across the more than 2,000 income tax returns that were filed by volunteers on behalf of lower income residents in the region.

“That matters. It is one of our greatest poverty reduction strategies,” he said.

Asked at council what United Way is working on in South Huron as a new possible initiative, Erb said the biggest thing is housing.

United Way is currently raising money to purchase land from the Pentecostal Church at a deeply discounted rate to build a multi-storey affordable housing complex at the south end of Exeter.