The programs, collaborations and agencies United Way supports all have the same goal in sight – to make Peel Region an enriched and healthy community. Read first-hand about individuals impacted by United Way’s efforts.

• Strengthening Families and Children:
  • Joshua's story
  • Julia's story
• Helping immigrants and newcomers to settle and integrate:
  • Gifty’s story
  • Jyoti and Christine's story
• Supporting seniors to live healthy and independant lives:
  • Judy’s story
  • Grace's story
• Helping Abused Women and Children:
  • Belinda’s story
  • Helen's story
• Alleviating hunger, homelessness and poverty:
  • John’s story
  • Rosie's story

Strengthening Families and Children: Joshua's story

Thanks to the CNIB Halton-Peel, a United Way of Peel Region funded agency, young Joshua Roul receives ongoing assistance for his visual disability.

A day after he was born in January 2002, Joshua Roul was diagnosed with nerve damage to his left shoulder as the result of a difficult delivery. As serious as this situation was, it paled in comparison to what happened next. “I had been heavily medicated due to complications because of the difficulty of the birth, and did not realize that there was something not quite right with his eyes until he was two days old,” explained Joshua’s mother, Jodi Roul. “At this time, I saw that neither of his pupils was in the centre of his iris. Joshua was diagnosed with Ectopic Papillae et Lentis (dislocated pupils and lenses).” To make matters worse, when Joshua was only six weeks old, he developed a perianal abscess that required surgery. “Between doctor’s appointments, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and tests, we had not fully comprehended the impact this would have on his and our lives as a family,” said Jodi. Eventually, Joshua was referred to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) - Halton-Peel, a United Way of Peel Region funded agency. A CNIB Early Intervention Specialist came to the Roul home to evaluate Joshua’s condition. “Amanda [the Early Intervention Specialist] and I discussed what services she could offer through the CNIB,” said Jodi. “Amanda was always there to ensure that Joshua was getting the services and stimulation he needed to reach his developmental milestones. In the next month [June 2005], Joshua has many appointments and tests. Amanda will be attending Joshua’s visual assessment and his ophthalmologist appointment. Without the help of the people at the CNIB, families and individuals affected by vision loss would have no where to turn for help.”

Four years ago, Larry and Caroline Gower and their infant daughter, Julia, moved to the rural town of Bolton. There, they learned about a United Way-funded agency that would become an integral part of their lives.

Born 11 weeks prematurely, Julia spent many weeks in hospital battling complications. At age 1, she was diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy. In Bolton, with no extended family or
support system, Caroline felt overwhelmed and isolated. She reached out to a United Way agency, where staff told her of a program for parents concerned about their child's
development. The program offers rotating drop-in clinics for families with children 5 years of age and under. Caroline visited the clinic, where she had the opportunity to consult with
professionals and receive the appropriate referrals for Julia.

Over the next year, Caroline and Julia began regularly attending drop-in sessions at the agency. They also began attending early learning and literacy programs.

Today, Julia is a bright and curious 5-year-old child. Caroline is grateful that, thanks to United Way, she and her family got the support they needed. She said that her family's needs had been met socially, emotionally and cognitively. “Most important, it has taught us that
childhood is a journey, not a race.”

Gifty Appiah came to Canada from Ghana in 1992. Today, she is the single parent of three children aged 12, 8 and 4.

For the past two years, Gifty has been taking classes in reading, writing and arithmetic four mornings a week at a United Way-funded agency, which she was referred to by a friend. Gifty is part of a small group of learners, as they are called, from various countries, including India, Jamaica and Canada.

According to Cathy Rudic, her group instructor since 2003, Gifty has quickly progressed from a Level 1 to a Level 3 learner. “The Peel Literacy Guild has helped me out a lot,” said Gifty. “I can now help my children do their homework. I can read and write letters and fill out forms.”

The education Gifty is receiving at the agency is aligned with her goal of becoming a Personal Support Worker (PSW), someone who can help other people with various human needs. She has completed seven courses so far and is working hard to finish the final three in the program by the end of the year. Gifty is also doing her practicum two evenings a week at Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. She is grateful for the education and practical experience she is gaining and looks forward to getting a job in her chosen field and being able to support her family.

Christine He and Jyoti Shukla have something in common. Dreaming of a new life, they both immigrated with their spouses to Canada from Asia. Christine came from China in 2003 and Jyoti came a year later from India, joining the thousands of new immigrants who settle in Peel each year.

One of the biggest challenges they faced upon arrival was finding employment in their fields. Both women are well educated and experienced in their fields; Christine is a chemical engineer and Jyoti is a career counsellor. But despite their excellent credentials, they could not find jobs that took full advantage of the skills and experience they had to offer.

However, thanks to a program funded in part by United Way that links new immigrants with mentors in their professional fields, Christine and Jyoti were eventually successful in finding ideal positions in their field.

“My mentor helped me 'Canadianize' my skills,” said Jyoti. “She explained the importance of soft skills in the Canadian work environment, gave me mock interview sessions and helped me develop my professional network.”

Both Jyoti and Christine are thrilled with their jobs and are looking forward to a bright future and giving back to the community that helped them get a new start. In fact, Jyoti herself is now a mentor herself and has experienced her first success as a mentor!

Fifty-five-year-old Judy is profoundly deaf. Her first language is American Sign Language. She lived with her mother and brother in an apartment for many years and relied on them for day-to-day support.

When Judy’s mother’s health deteriorated last year, she had to be moved to a long-term care facility. This devastated Judy because she was left with very little support. Compounding the problem was the fact that soon after her mother left, Judy’s brother moved into a mental-health facility for treatment. Suddenly, Judy’s support system was gone.

Judy was then laid off from her job. Her savings quickly became depleted, leaving her with a huge debt and unable to pay the rent. Judy had relied on her mother and brother to help her with expenses. Now she had no choice. She turned to a United Way of Peel Region funded agency for help.

“Our General Social Services counsellor, Tarryl, was able to help Judy after she contacted the Canadian Hearing Society,” said the agency’s Executive Director, Jim Hardman. “Tarryl was able to work with Judy to obtain a guardian to manage her expenses. She also worked with Judy to find a new apartment that was affordable to her. In addition, Tarryl and the guardian were able to help Judy secure a disability pension from her former employer.”

Today, Judy is able to visit her mother regularly at the nursing home and her brother visits Judy at her new place. Currently, Tarryl is continuing to meet with Judy to ensure that things are going smoothly. She is attempting to get a volunteer to work with Judy to encourage her to become more active in her community.

Grace was a well-educated woman from a rural area in Caledon. After the death of her husband several years ago, Grace became reclusive and mistrustful of society and lived in isolation in a run-down house. With no children or other family members, Grace turned to a United Way-funded agency for help. Volunteers from the agency began visiting her regularly to bring meals, extra treats, and even delighted her with a surprise party on her birthday.

Three of her volunteer friends brought a card table, a few chairs, a picnic lunch, a birthday cake and a small gift. They set up a party on the front lawn because Grace was ashamed of the state of the inside of her home.

When Grace's health declined and she was hospitalized, the volunteers continued to visit her and provide support and comfort in her last days. Funding from United Way brought
friendship, peace and dignity to Grace in her life and in her dying.

In June of 2003, Belinda left an abusive relationship. She had a young daughter and was eight months pregnant, with no job, no money and no home. “Leaving my husband meant leaving behind a 5,000-square-foot house in south Mississauga, a full-time nanny and everything that went with it,” she said. “For the first time, my daughter began to hear, ‘Sorry but Mommy can’t afford that’ and ‘No, I can’t take you swimming, it's too expensive.”

In September 2003 with the help of counsellors at a United Way-funded agency and other organizations, Belinda was able to find housing in Mississauga. She had to go on social assistance and had trouble making ends meet, especially since her ex-husband wasn’t paying child support. As the months passed, her daughter saw her friends and cousins going to swimming lessons and other recreational programs that Belinda couldn’t afford.

Thanks to a friend, Belinda learned about YMCA Mississauga’s membership assistance program. She found out that, due to her financial situation, she qualified for the program. “Because of my membership, I was then able to sign my daughter up for preschool arts, crafts and gym as well as swimming and dance.

“It is said that no man is an island and, in my family’s life, this is so true,” continued Belinda. “We have come a long way and it’s through the support and help of the YMCA and others that has made conquering what seemed to be an insurmountable challenge possible.”

“I was dying inside and out with so many stresses in my life.” These words were spoken by Helen, who at the time had six children under age 13. She worked full-time as a medical laboratory technologist and had severe asthma. She also had a secret she couldn't admit, even to herself - she was being physically and emotionally abused by her husband.

Her concerned parish priest referred Helen to a United Way-funded agency. There, she found the support and courage she needed to slowly begin making changes in her life.

“It was in group therapy with other women survivors of abuse that I learned that I was not alone,” said Helen. She also learned how to develop an escape plan and find “safe homes” when needed.

Eventually Helen separated from her husband. When child support payments stopped a few months later, she was forced to work 12-hour shifts to make ends meet. She soon became exhausted and occasionally landed in the hospital due to severe asthma attacks.

With the support of a United Way-funded agency, family, friends and church, the lives of Helen and her children became more secure. Counselling provided to Helen, as well as her children, gave her strength and courage through some very difficult times.

Today, 17 years later, Helen is helping women who are experiencing what she once did. “Learning to live again without the threat of abuse... being free, that's what life means to me now,” she said. “How different things might have been for all of us without the support of the United Way of Peel Region.”

John is a single father with three children. He has suffered with a chronic heart condition all his life. Several years ago, John received a heart transplant. He is unable to work to support his family and they live off his disability pension and the Child Tax Credit. In the past year his health has deteriorated and his body is rejecting the transplant.

John has turned to Foodpath,a food bank funded by United Way of Peel Region. As he cannot walk too far, arrangements have been made for his order to be delivered by volunteers from the community or his neighbours. The order is selected when he or a family member calls.

Thanks to United Way, John has another avenue of support for his family that has helped them stay together. Today, he is delighted that his eldest daughter is attending nursing school at a community college.

Rosie and her husband, both in their forties, were living in poverty due to ongoing employment challenges. For the past two years they had relied on a United Way-funded food bank to help them make ends meet.

One day when Rosie was picking up her food, she made an embarrassing, revealing slip of the tongue. Rather than trying to explain away her error, she emotionally admitted a secret that food bank staff had long suspected: Rosie could neither read nor write.

Rosie is an example of the one in five English-speaking adults in Ontario who lack basic literacy skills. Her inability to read or write had kept her trapped in poverty, preventing her from getting a job that pays enough to change her living situation.

Once Rosie shared her secret, the food bank staff told her about another United Way-funded agency that provides free literacy instruction for English-speaking adults, either through
one-on-one tutoring or in small group classes. Rosie signed up immediately.

When Rosie returned to the food bank the next month, the change was dramatic. Bursting with self-confidence, Rosie proudly announced that she had read her first book, Curious George.

Today, thanks to United Way, Rosie is transforming her life. She continues to strengthen her reading skills with her tutor's help. Her increased confidence and reading ability enabled her to land a job that pays an adequate wage. As a result, Rosie no longer needs to turn to the food bank for assistance.