United Way promises to stay local

United Way of Elgin-St. Thomas raised only 73 percent of its $600,000 goal in its most recent fundraising campaign, and and a two-month emergency effort that followed just $11,400 of its $100,000 target. But at the annual general meeting of the fundraising cooperative Monday, May 4, in St. Thomas, President James Todd and Vice-President Michelle Boyce were still claiming a victory.

That’s because, during the emergency campaign led by Serge Lavoie, United Way also met with 500 community members and were told unequivocally the annual fundraiser was still needed in the community, Mr. Todd said.

They also told the agency that they wanted a local United Way, and didn’t want to just be absorbed into the London United Way, he said—though talks with that group would continue, focusing on ways to share costs and services wherever possible.