In the News
May 20, 2014
The new chair of the region’s annual United Way campaign is no stranger to the cause.
Carrie Batt, who heads up the 72nd campaign for the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington region, has been volunteering for the group for the past eight years.
“I’m looking forward to the months ahead,” says Batt, vice president of commercial finance services at RBC. “I’d like to see us continue with the success of campaigns we’ve done in the past.”
Batt began working at RBC in 1988, and came to Kingston By way of Winnipeg 12 years ago.
“I’ve been fortunate because it’s such a beautiful city and a good community,” she says.
Batt became familiar with the United Way through RBC’s employee donation program, and she soon became more involved in the organization’s efforts. Once in Kingston, she spent two years as part of the campaign cabinet and then six years on the campaign’s Board of Directors. Last year, she served as vice chair of the campaign before being asked in mid-2013 if she would be chair in 2014.
“I always like to think about giving back to the community, but I also wanted to get to know the businesses and people in my new community,” Batt says.
Now, in the months leading up to the official kick-off in September, Batt will be training volunteers, lining up business donations and making preparations for fall events.
“There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. Right now we’re really building the team and calling on businesses for their support.”
Among the many programs and services it offers, the United Way is focused on three main areas that it will support with this year’s proceeds. The first is All That Kids Can Be, which focuses on at-risk youth and education. The second, Healthy People Strong Communities, aims to provide more resources to people living with disabilities and to the elderly.
The last area, Poverty To Possibility, focuses on food security and nutrition. Batt explains that the United Way is a unique charity in that the volunteers themselves will decide how to allocate donations.
“But 100% of the money stays in the community,” she says.
Previous programs sponsored by the United Way include Epilepsy Kingston, the CNIB, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Pathways and dozens more.
Batt hopes the Kingston community will continue to show the support that it has in past years.
“Over 73,000 people have been served by the United Way’s efforts,” she says. “In order to do good, we need to continue to see donations. But we have a great community that way. They always help out.”
To learn more about this year’s campaign, or make a donation, visit www.unitedwaykfla.ca.
Source: Kelly Reid, Kingston This Week
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