A message from Cecilia David and Cindy Goodman, co-chairs of Royal Roads' 2021 United Way workplace campaign

As co-chairs of the 2021 United Way Southern Vancouver Island workplace campaign at Royal Roads, we see the annual campus-wide fundraising drive as another way to show our commitment to RRU's values of being caring, creative and courageous.

For 25 years, people at RRU have given to help better our community through the annual campaign. We’ve raised more than $1 million over the past quarter century and supported other efforts such as gathering hygiene kits for people experiencing homelessness and sanitary supplies for women at risk.

Our fundraising goals for the year were to raise $56,000 with 100 per cent participation of our colleagues.

We fundraised through a pledge drive and a variety of popular events, including the Duck Race, online auction and art show, samosas sale and 50/50 raffle.

We're happy to report that we reached 27 per cent participation and raised a total of $52,466 from special events, individual pledges and a generous corporate gift of $5,000 from RRU.

Our dollars raised supported four of United Way's main areas of action:

  1. Isolated seniors: Around 50 per cent of people over the age of 80 report feeling lonely. Donations provide seniors with nutritious meals, help with errands, appointments and household maintenance and captioned speech-reading classes for the hearing impaired.
  2. Families in need: With as many as 50,000 people experiencing food insecurity in the CRD, gifts can provide financial coaching, food hampers, support meetings to build coping strategies and strengthen life skills and links to community resources.
  3. Mental health and addictions: With 50 per cent of Vancouver Island residents reporting their mental health worsening due to the effects of COVID, donations can provide mental and emotional health support, counselling, peer support and personalized mental health crisis plans.
  4. Diversity, equity and inclusion: Nearly three-quarters of Indigenous, Black, Asian or other persons of colour in Greater Victoria reported that they experienced racism in the last five years. Donations to the United Way provide culturally caring mental health counselling for Indigenous youth; equity, diversity and inclusion workshops; and essential school supplies for lower-income newcomer children and youth.

Thank you to everyone for your support. We hope you'll participate again in 2022.

Cecilia David and Cindy Goodman