June: A Message from our Executive Director

United Way Oxford has more breaking news! Last month, I shared that I would be retiring at the end of September. It has been an amazing 23 years here, and now it is time to pass the baton. I am so thrilled to share information that was recently released – Amanda Kreiger, our Resource Development Manager, will soon be moving into the Executive Director role. I have had the pleasure of working closely with Amanda for over 10 years and know that she is the perfect choice. She joined us as a volunteer and never looked back! She is passionately committed to this community and to supporting the people who live here. United Way Oxford will thrive under her leadership and move into an exciting new chapter. I know that you will all support her the way you have always supported me. Our Board, Staff and Volunteers all love working with Amanda and are excited to see where her vision and skill lead the organization next. 

Recently, there has been a lot of social media chatter and negativity around Oxford County purchasing the former Woodstock YMCA building for a future location of a new Oxford Homelessness Support Centre. This initiative, conceived and developed through significant consultation with community partners to address identified gaps, will be an important addition to existing services. The County has been searching for a building for well over a year; however, finding a ‘perfect’ building in an appropriate and properly zoned area is no easy feat. The former YMCA space is close to downtown, on the transit route, near basic amenities, and very close to the existing shelter site; additionally, it is large enough to accommodate all service partners in the circle of care. It is expected to open in early 2028 and will assist people from across Oxford County. It will offer far more than just emergency shelter services – it will provide on-site supports to help individuals stabilize and connect with services and programs that can move them forward to a better future. The County has certainly not finalized any details yet – purchasing the building is only the first of many steps to come. There will be public consultation and input from community partners. United Way will continue to be involved and to have a voice at the table. While we all know that deeply affordable and supported housing is the key to ending homelessness, it is also important to have all the other critical tools in place as well. This new Centre will be one of the many tools required to meet people where they are at and to help them move towards a healthier future.  As further information becomes available, we will continue to share.

United Way Oxford is seeking a few new community members to join our Board at our AGM in September.  Are you interested in a new volunteer opportunity? If so, consider applying. We seek to have strong representation from across Oxford, as well as across all demographics, professional experiences, education levels, and backgrounds. In particular, we have identified gaps in our Board matrix that include an individual age 65+, as well as someone who can share their experience as someone from a diverse or equity-seeking group, someone who lives and/or works in Tillsonburg or rural area, as well as someone from agriculture or agri-business who can help us expand our connections. The United Way Oxford Board is a group of various community members who all believe in the work of United Way and want to help those in our community by contributing to building a better Oxford County for all. They are a wonderful group of committed volunteers! If this appeals to you – or someone you know – please reach out for a chat and an application form.

As the school year wraps up in the coming weeks and kids across Oxford get to celebrate their summer break, we’ll begin fundraising for the annual Oxford Supplies4Students Program. This community collaboration is not part of our allocation process; it is a stand-alone initiative designed to bring people together to invest in making sure that all students have what they need to start the new school year and be ready to learn.  We know that many families are struggling to make ends meet in the current economic climate and that back-to-school is tremendously expensive. That is why this program exists. If you can help us, please consider donating specifically to this worthwhile initiative. Thank you.