Show Your Local Love Week
We hope you’ll join us for the week of November 9-15 for our first-ever virtual Show Your Local Love Week. This is your opportunity to join others in our community in creating a groundswell of support for people and families who are facing tremendous hardship as a result of COVID-19.
There are so many ways for you to show you care. We have planned a number of learning opportunities, fun special events and curated a number of give-back activities to help you show your #LocalLove. Click the days below the calendar to find out more and register for our workshops and events!

Impact Area: Basic Needs
United Way’s poverty reduction efforts are designed to achieve measurable results which ensure families and individuals have the financial, social and personal assets they need to improve their quality of life. Find out more about the work United Way is doing in this area here
Monday’s activities will focus on bringing attention to the issues that many of our community members are facing – food insecurity, homelessness and poverty. Learn how to better understand and support our community, as the issues are further exacerbated by COVID-19.
PARTICIPATE
Online Cooking Class
Join us on Instagram to learn how to cook a nutritious meal from simple ingredients! Molly Roberts, Eat Well Coordinator at the Guelph Wellington Seniors Association will share her tips on cooking, as well as the importance of a balanced diet. Learn more about food insecurity in our community and how you can give back.
Donate Basic Needs Kits to the North End Harvest Market
The North End Harvest Market is asking for donations for their Non-Custodial Parent and Grandparent Program. They are looking for warm care packages to be able to provide to children.
Items to be donated:
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Dental floss/ kids dental floss picks
- Hats
- Socks
- Gloves
- Scarves
- Cleaning wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Disposable gloves
- Disposable masks
Other Volunteer Opportunities:
- Sign up to be a COVID Changemaker
- Children’s Foundation of Guelph & Wellington – Food and Friends
- Salvation Army – Food Pantry Helper
- HOPE House – Food Market Volunteer
Impact Area: Positive Mental Health
United Way invests in prevention and early intervention programs which provide a wide range of community-based services that help improve social support, self-regulation of emotion and coping skills, as well as increase access to help and support. Find out more about the work United Way is doing in this area here
Tuesday’s activities will focus on the need for positive mental health, how our community is currently coping. Learn how to better support ourselves and one another as we face increased stress and anxiety as we deal with the impacts of COVID-19.
PARTICIPATE
Gen-Next Event: Lessons with Local Leaders
United Way GenNext is excited to present Lessons with Local Leaders, our 6th annual event bringing together community leaders and young professionals. This year’s theme is Mental Health and Resiliency. Join us to learn from our keynote speakers and for a morning full of networking and discussion with local leaders.
Lessons with Local Leaders provides an opportunity to connect with, and learn from, current community leaders and those who will lead change within our community in the future.
We hope you will join us for this engaging morning to better our community and ourselves. To purchase a $25 ticket, click here
Workshop: Learning Mindfulness
- 12 PM: Join us for an engaging workshop on mindfulness with Family Counselling and Support Services for Guelph-Welington. Learn how to incorporate simple and effective mindfulness techniques into your everyday life to improve your mental health and wellbeing.
Volunteer opportunities:
- Family Counselling and Distress – Distress Line volunteer
- Up and Running – Peer Mentor
- Guelph Community Health Centre – WE Breastfeed & Chestfeed Peer Support Volunteer
- Bereaved Families – Peer Support Facilitator
Impact Area: Supports for Seniors
United Way invests in programs which provide a wide range of community-based services that help increase the overall wellbeing of seniors. These programs improve social support, reduce isolation, and increase sense of belonging and connection to the community. To find out more about United Way’s work in this area, click here
Wednesday will focus on supporting seniors in our community and learning more about how we can support them through a difficult time of uncertainty and isolation.
PARTICIPATE
Workshop: How to Support Seniors During a Pandemic
- 12:30 PM: Join us for a Lunch & Learn workshop. Partners of the Waterloo Wellington Older Adult Strategy will present on the impact that COVID-19 has had on seniors in our community and how caregivers and others can best support neighbours and loved ones during this difficult time. Programs and services available to assist will be described.
Write a letter to an isolated senior or veteran in the community.
- Letters should be mailed to the United Way office at United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin, 85 Westmount Road, Guelph, ON N1H 5J2
Volunteer opportunities:
- VON – Volunteer Driver
- VON – Meals on Wheels
- VON – Telephone Reassurance
- PIN – Snow Angels
- United Way – Shopping for Seniors
Impact Area: Connected Kids
United Way works with partner agencies to put kids on the path to success by investing in their development from early childhood to young adulthood. To learn more about our work and the agencies we fund under this area, click here
PARTICIPATE
Workshop: How to Support Children During the Pandemic
- 12 PM: Join us for a Lunch & Learn workshop with the Dufferin Parent Support Network and learn how to motivate and better support children through a pandemic.
Have fun with the kids in your life!
- Download our printable scavenger hunt to do with your kids.
- Download our Month of Local Love calendar to do with your kids during the month of December.
Gather & donate items for a children’s gift kit
North End Harvest Market is asking for donations for their Non-Custodial Parent and Grandparent Program. They are looking for warm care packages to be able to provide to children.
Items do be donated:
- Gifts for kids and teens (gift cards to Walmart, bookstores, cinema, etc).
Volunteer opportunities:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters – Virtual Big Brother
- Family and Children’s Services – Child Mentor
- Family and Children’s Services – Youth Mentor
- Family and Children’s Services – Male Mentor
- Start2Finish – Virtual Online Child Mentor
- Career Education Council – Career mentoring Volunteer
Impact Area: Belonging & Inclusion
United Way supports residents in creating strong neighbourhoods where everyone has a sense of belonging. When people are connected to others, our community is happier and healthier. Your support ensures our funded programs create opportunities for people to get involved, create meaningful relationships and connect people to community services to reduce isolation and improve social support. Learn more about our work in this area here
PARTICIPATE
Workshop: Diversity and Inclusion
- 12 PM: Join us for a Lunch & Learn workshop with the Guelph & District Multicultural Festival. Learn more about our diverse community and how we can all work to be more inclusive in our workplaces and homes.
Volunteer Opportunities:
- Up and Running – Peer Mentor
- Guelph Community Health Centre – WE Breastfeed & Chestfeed Peer Support Volunteer
- Immigrant Services – Cooking Around The World
- Immigrant Services – 1:1 Conversation Partner
- J.O.E – Online Community Mentor
DEMONSTRATE
Join us in showing our #Local Love by participating in the #GWDLocalLove Photo Challenge
Upload a picture of yourself with your arms to the side (pretend you are holding hands with someone on either side!), preferably in Black & White! Use the #GWDLocalLove and tag us and a friend to join you! We’ll show our community how we are united in local love! Don’t have a social media account? Feel free to email your photo to dana@unitedwayguelph.com
Example:
Donate
Let’s show our community that we are united in local love. If you are able to, please give generously. We are in this together.
