UBC’s Pierre Ouillet, vice-president finance, resources and operations, is going to jail and he won’t come out. Ouillet will be stuck behind bars until he raises $250 for bail.
Ouillet’s jail stunt on Nov. 10 is one of many fundraisers planned for the 2010 UBC Community United Way Campaign, which kicked off Sept. 20.
UBC has been involved with the United Way campaign for more than 20 years. Every year, students, residents, staff and faculty join together to raise money for the United Way of the Lower Mainland.
UBC’s annual campaign is one of many workplace campaigns that contribute to the overall annual campaign put on by the United Way of the Lower Mainland. This year’s campaign for the Lower Mainland is being co-chaired by UBC President Stephen Toope.
“The United Way helps people right here in our own backyard,” says Lynn Newman, who is co-chairing the UBC campaign with Steve Tuckwood. “One in three people in the Lower Mainland benefit from the services, programs or research funded by the United Way.”
To get this message across, Newman and Tuckwood are hoping the entire UBC community—residents, students, staff and faculty—will get involved.
“This year we’ve broken the campaign up. Each vice-president portfolio is responsible for putting on a mini campaign,” says Tuckwood, associate director of Development.
“We want people to get to know one another and get exposure to how other units work,” says Newman. “After the campaign is over, it will be that much easier to work together on other projects.”
UBC and the United Way of the Lower Mainland have collaborated for many years, examining social issues and identifying solutions with a focus on prevention.
UBC has also been involved in the Loaned Rep program for over 20 years. Each year, two UBC employees are ‘loaned’ to the United Way to serve as an extension of United Way staff.
“This program provides the loaned rep with significant professional development and the opportunity to learn about the community surrounding and supporting UBC, as well as the importance of social responsibility,” says Prof. Toope.
“They return to UBC ready to take on greater challenges and enrich our community through the experience they gained.”
While Prof. Toope and two other UBC employees are working away on the Lower Mainland campaign, the UBC community can get involved right here on campus. A pancakes race, a gala night, and many other fundraising activities are planned for the 2010 UBC Community United Way Campaign.
For more information about the campaign or to make a donation,
visit www.unitedway.ubc.ca
UBC research and the United Way
A quarter of Grade 4 public school children in Vancouver say that they are not doing well in overall health and well-being, suggests research coming from a partnership between the Vancouver School Board, United Way of the Lower Mainland, and UBC’s Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP).
The study found that 26 per cent of Grade 4 children were categorized as low in child health and well-being, and another 34 per cent were considered medium. These findings indicate that less than half of Vancouver’s children are thriving and meeting their fullest potential.
“Our findings suggest a clear and urgent need for increased attention to the social and emotional well-being and health of children during the middle childhood years,” said Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, the principal investigator of the study, and a professor in UBC’s Faculty of Education and HELP
