'A lot of people hurting in our city': United Way Winnipeg head has never seen a more challenging time

The president and CEO of United Way Winnipeg says she's never seen such a level of desperation in the city.

"I've been around for a long time and I would say this is the most challenging time in our community that I have ever seen," said Connie Walker, who has been with United Way Winnipeg since 2008 and its president and CEO since 2014.

"The last few months have been incredibly difficult."

Over recent weeks, an average of about 400 people from across the province have been calling Manitoba's 211 help line, worrying about how they will pay their rent or buy food, or seeking mental health supports, Walker told CBC Manitoba Information Radio host Marcy Markusa on Tuesday.

"There are a lot of people hurting in our city."

The 211 phone service, which launched two years ago and is led by United Way, can help connect people to anything from mental health services to financial support to food banks. The service is available in more than 150 languages.

One recent call stands out for Walker. It was from an employee at a storage locker company, who found someone living in one of the spaces because the person was no longer able to pay rent at home.

"Our 211 navigators were able to offer some really strong ideas in terms of how to help this individual," Walker said.

"It speaks to the desperation. And we're hearing that from all of our agency partners, that they are seeing so many people reaching out for help, unable to pay their bills and rent, and a sense of despair."

Adding to the challenge for charities is the growing struggle to find volunteers.

"It's kind of the perfect storm, where we've got so much need in the community because of inflation, because of the impact of the pandemic, and at the same time, people are not volunteering as much, and there's a dampening in terms of donations, as people who would like to give are no longer able to give," Walker said.

United Way Winnipeg works with more than 125 agency partners across Winnipeg, a network Walker calls "a safety blanket, helping so many people every single day."

At the same time, she hears stories from many of them about the challenges they are facing.

She hopes the way to change that is to remind people that only a little amount can make a big impact.

"I think Manitobans have this spirit — we have a spirit of volunteerism, we have a spirit of generosity — and through times like this, we just have to remind ourselves that every single dollar can make a difference," she said.

"The gift doesn't have to be large, but when we put our gifts together, we can really make a difference."

That message comes on Giving Tuesday, an annual campaign designed to celebrate charitable acts.

Touted as a "global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world," Giving Tuesday follows the year's most frantic shopping weekend, bookended by Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

"Days like today just remind us to be generous and do what we can and keep that spirit alive every day, because we know the difference that can be made," Walker said.

"Amidst all of the difficult stories, we hear great stories as well: people that have gotten back on their feet and are achieving their goals in life simply because an agency in a program was there for them when they needed it."

Salvation Army needs volunteers

The Salvation Army told CBC News it, too, is experiencing a lower number of volunteers and a slower than usual start to the annual Christmas Kettle campaign.

"Giving Tuesday is always a great launch to our Christmas fundraising season, though this year we want to remind the community that giving can involve more than just funds — it can also involve time as a volunteer," said Maj. Al Hoeft, spokesman for Salvation Army in Manitoba.

"Since the pandemic, we have been challenged to re-establish our volunteer program [and volunteers are critical to The Salvation Army being a transformative force in the communities we serve. We are currently understaffed in the volunteer component, not only during our kettle campaign but also during events throughout the year."

Despite the challenges, Hoeft is optimistic.

"We have faith that the community's generosity will shine through these tougher times," he said.