United Way of the Lower Mainland Launches 2013 Campaign to Raise $27.5 Million

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Sept. 23, 2013) - United Way of the Lower Mainland has launched their annual fundraising campaign. This year the goal is $27.5 million to help children, families and seniors across the Lower Mainland.

United Way of the Lower Mainland supports 26 municipalities across Metro Vancouver, the Sea to Sky corridor, and Sunshine Coast. Through donor support, United Way invests in and works with more than 150 different agencies and organizations to provide more than 450 programs and services to fight poverty, bullying and social isolation in communities.

On average, one in five children in BC lives in poverty. Many children in our communities are going to school hungry. One of the ways United Way of the Lower Mainland is changing this is through our Food for All initiative. The goal is to focus on prevention-based programs that alleviate hunger, ensure children and seniors have access to healthy food, and learn about nutrition and eating well.

North Shore Neighbourhood House's Edible Garden Project is an example of this. The Edible Garden Project manages 12 community gardens and an urban farm, six drop-off locations to collect donated fresh produce, and runs education programs about food and nutrition. Since the project started in 2006, the program has distributed six tonnes of food to people in need on the North Shore. United Way funds both the North Shore Neighbourhood House and the Edible Garden Project.

Help support programs like the Edible Garden Project through United Way. Last year, a total of 775 organizations in the Lower Mainland ran fundraising campaigns. Start your workplace fundraising campaign today. For more information visit www.uwlm.ca

About United Way of the Lower Mainland

United Way is a charitable organization established over eighty years ago to support those in need in Metro Vancouver. United Way of the Lower Mainland is dedicated to creating healthy, caring and inclusive communities by breaking the cycle of poverty, helping school-age children make the right life choices, and supporting seniors to age with dignity.