The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

15 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,D ecem ber 24,2020 theifp.ca FULL-SERVICE RETIREMENT HOME 905-877-1800 222 Mountainview Road North, Georgetown www.mountainviewresidence.com You've worked hard to enjoy retirement, now it's our pleasure to make this the best time of your life in a family, friendly atmosphere. Mountainview Residence Of Georgetown In-house physiotherapy team, Aqua-Fit and gentle chair yoga. On-site activities include multiple movie nights weekly, various card games (for the novice and the experienced), ice cream days, pet therapy. Along with personal care and services to support independence. Our residents share full service meals in our updated dining room. ENJOY THE SOUNDS OF THE SEASON Come in and have your complimentary hearing consultation today! 360 Guelph St., Unit 44 Georgetown (In the Knolcrest Centre) 905.877.8828 Georgetown's trusted choice for hearing care The United Way of Hal- ton & Hamilton (UWHH) will seek to raise $10 mil- lion to help those strug- gling as a result of the CO- VID-19 pandemic. The local charity kicked off its annual fundraising campaign with a virtual scavenger hunt that saw teams visit 12 stops in Hal- ton and Hamilton with a goal of raising $30,000. Organizers note there is a lot riding on this cam- paign's success. The pandemic, they said, has only exacerbated already pressing issues, such as poverty, mental ill- ness and isolation. UWHH CEO Brad Park said individuals, families and neighbourhoods have been pushed to their limits, and the social sector is be- ing stretched beyond its ca- pacity to serve the over- whelming need. That said, Park noted the network agencies across Burlington, Halton Hills, Hamilton, Milton and Oakville that are fund- ed by UWHH have been there throughout the months of crisis and will lead the recovery that is to come. "In this time of great un- certainty, there are a few things we know for sure," said Park. "We know that the most vulnerable among us have been the most negatively affected by COVID-19. We also know our community is facing a recovery and re- building that will likely be years in the making. And the final thing we know is that our community has al- ways come together in time of crisis. We are confident this one will be no differ- ent." Park acknowledged that addressing the great need that exists in the Halton and Hamilton communi- ties will be challenging. He said demand for so- cial services has increased 42 per cent across Canada since the beginning of the pandemic and noted the longer COVID-19 drags out, the more people will need help recovering from it. Next to government, Park said, the United Way is the largest investor in the critical social safety net in Halton and Hamil- ton, sustaining a network of 64 agencies delivering 128 programs that serve more than 200,000 people annually. In Halton Hills it sup- ports 54 programs that serve 13,000 people. These include food bank programs, mental health programs and more. Park said the ability of UWHH to raise funds is be- ing hampered by the pan- demic. He noted workplace campaigns, which account for almost 75 per cent of the United Way's revenue, are affected by job losses, re- duced hours, and econom- ic uncertainty. Donations have de- clined, gifts are being de- ferred and most of the key fundraising events can't happen right now, said Park. "This is a momentous opportunity to come to- gether to rebuild and move forward," said campaign chair John Chisholm. "The reason for hope of a better future is our do- nors. If you are an existing supporter of the United Way, thank you and we hope you will consider giv- ing more this year. And if you have never given to the United Way, there has nev- er been a time when your community has needed you more." The campaign will run from now until March 2021. For more information visit https:// www.uwhh.ca. NEWS UNITED WAY SEEKS TO RAISE $10 MILLION TO HELP MOST VULNERABLE Halton Hills councillors help kick off the United Way Halton and Hamilton's (UWHH) annual fundraising campaign. On hand were (from left) Councillor Jane Fogal, UWHH CEO Brad Park, Mayor Rick Bonnette, Janet Foster and Corinne Roynon with the United Way, Councillor Ann Lawlor and the UWHH's Brenda Hajdu. Melanie Hennessey/Metroland