Fort McMurray’s weak economy is hobbling a major fundraising campaign that many charities in the oilsands capital depend on, says the campaign chair for the United Way.
The Fort McMurray United Way fears it will raise only $5 million of its $7 million fundraising goal this year, Steve Yatauro said Thursday.
The United Way has never made an appeal for help two weeks before its campaign wraps up, Yatauro said.
The fundraising campaign supports 31 agencies that serve the most vulnerable in Fort McMurray including the St. Aidan’s Society, which works with seniors who suffer from elder abuse.
“St Aidan’s could not exist without the United Way,” said executive director Luana Bussieres. “They are our major funder. Without them we would have to close our doors.”
‘Extremely challenging’
Many agencies are relying on the United Way to hit its target in order to maintain their basic operating services, Yatauro said.
“We knew $7.1 million represented the need of the community,” Yatauro said. “We knew this was going to be extremely challenging and that’s why we felt so compelled to come forward before the end of the campaign period to extend the challenge.”
For years the United Way has relied mostly on Fort McMurray’s oilsands workforce for donations, but as the economic downturn and the 2015 wildfire takes their toll on the local economy, the charity needs to broaden its reach to all workplaces, Yatauro said.
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