United Way Saint John, Kings & Charlotte is now part of the larger United Way Maritimes.
Seven United Way organizations from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. joined the new single entity.
Alexya Heelis, executive director of United Way Saint John, Kings & Charlotte, said the amalgamation will help limit duplication and maximize efforts.
“The main goal is for us to be better positioned to address the needs of the community and be able to strengthen our local impacts,” Heelis said in an interview.
United Way Central New Brunswick is also part of the organization, along with United Way PEI, United Way of Colchester County, United Way Halifax, United Way of Lunenburg County and United Way of Pictou County.
Work required to unify voluntarily has been underway for a number of years and officially took effect on July 1.
Since 2014, there have been over 20 instances of change involving more than 50 United Way Centraides from across Canada, although this is the first one that spans multiple provinces.
Heelis said their local name will remain and little will change for donors, with all funds raised here still being invested locally.
“I think even more importantly is that we will continue to have the decisions around what are our priorities in this region, what are the issues and what are the gaps that we’re trying to fill here locally,” she said.
The amalgamated United Way Maritimes also allows them to do things they may not have been able to do before, said Heelis. For example, the new entity has an affordable housing division.
“This is something that individually, none of the seven of us probably would have been able to do that on our own, but collectively, we have the resources and the expertise to be able to do that,” she added.
United Way Centraide Greater Moncton & Southeastern NB and United Way Cape Breton decided to remain as their own independently-run organizations but will continue to collaborate with United Way Maritimes.
