NFCS Chili/Pie United Way Fundraiser

Feb 12, 2014

On February 6, staff from Northern Frontenac Community Services held their first fundraiser of 2014 for the United Way at the Child Centre in Sharbot Lake. Guests enjoyed generous helpings of chili that was made and donated by members of the NFCS staff, and during the meal guests also had an opportunity to bid on a number of home-made pies that were auctioned off.

The United Way funds a number of the services that NFCS provides free of charge to the community, including their Family Counselor program, which offers in home or in office counseling to families in Central and North Frontenac who require help to get them through family-related life struggles including bereavement, separation, divorce and more.

The United Way also funds NFCS' Youth Services programs, which this past year were able to run thanks to a one-time $20,000 United Way Community Investment grant. The grant helped support NFCS programming for youth leadership development, after-school programming and life skills development programs.

Currently NFCS has applied for more permanent funding from the United Way to support their youth programs on an ongoing basis and they will find out if that grant was successful in March.

Don Amos, the executive director of NFCS, said that in addition to the funds raised from their numerous United Way fundraisers, this year all the NFCS staff are also donating a percentage of their salaries to the United Way Campaign through their Employee Deduction Plan, an effort that Amos was very proud to announce. “The fact alone that every single employee in our agency is donating to the United Way campaign on a regular ongoing basis as well as taking part in these fundraisers is a testament of how the staff here realize the importance of the United Way in our area and the support that the United Way has given to our organization,” Amos said when I spoke to him at the recent fundraiser. Amos stressed the fact that without the funding and support from the United Way much of their programming for youth and families in the area would not be possible.

Maribeth Scott, who is the manager of children and youth services at NFCS, said that NFCS staff are making year-round efforts to raise funds for the United Way “to make these programs work for the community.”

Upcoming in May will be the annual NFCS United Way yard sale, which will coincide with their Great Outdoor Adventure at St. James Major Catholic Church. Later in the fall NFCS will hold their annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser and they are also planning a Chinese dinner/quarter auction that will take place this fall. Details will be announced at a later date. Amos said he was pleased with the turn out for their most recent fundraiser and wished to thank NFCS staff, guests and donors for making the event such a success.