Sandgate Women’s Shelter of York Region and Yellow Brick House are among the agencies receiving additional funding from the United Way Greater Toronto (UWGT) to fight poverty.
United Way is providing an additional $2,125,000 across neighbourhoods in Peel and York experiencing deepening poverty, as well as agencies across the GTA led by and serving Indigenous, Black and other equity-deserving groups
The additional grants build on the first phase of UWGT’s anchor funding renewal of $33 million, announced in February 2023. The new investment enables agencies to respond to changes in their communities and engage in the strategic work necessary to build lasting solutions to critical challenges at the intersection of poverty, equity and geography, according to a news release.
Anchor funding is a unique-to-United Way model that provides stable, flexible and renewable funding for both targeted programming and core operational support, working toward a goal to equip agencies to meet evolving needs and build long-term organizational strength.
“At a time when the community sector is struggling to meet unprecedented levels of need, this anchor funding targets investment to what it takes to bring about a GTA without poverty: putting equity at the centre, supporting the leadership of communities most affected by poverty, and ensuring that responses to urgent needs are bolstered by strategic, forward-looking work," Daniele Zanotti, president and CEO of UWGT, said. "United Way Greater Toronto is pleased to partner with these dedicated organizations in our shared efforts to build inclusive, strong and vibrant communities.”
In 2021, the Barrett Family Foundation made a transformative gift to United Way, enabling UWGT to build on their commitment toward an equitable recovery from the pandemic. This gift helped to scale UWGT’s support for organizations and programs serving Indigenous, Black and other racialized populations impacted by poverty, driving long-term change while strengthening agency capacity and networks.
The new Anchor Agency funding builds on the Barrett gift and has added an additional focus, by expanding service provision in neighbourhoods in Peel and York that experience higher concentrations of poverty.
The agencies receiving new funding are:
- Afghan Women’s Organization
- African Community Services of Peel
- Anduhyaun Inc.
- CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals
- Centre for Independent Living Toronto
- Council of Agencies Serving South Asians
- Delta Family Resource Centre
- Embrave Agency to End Violence (formerly Interim Place)
- Lance Krasman Memorial Centre for Community Mental Health (Krasman Centre)
- Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training
- Roots Community Services
- Sandgate Women’s Shelter of York Region Inc.
- The Indigenous Network (formerly Peel Aboriginal Network)
- Yellow Brick House (Project Hostel)
