United Way launches ‘Give for Good’ program to support families in need

Seven years ago,  Meighan Sommer, the associate director of partnership development at United Way, was preparing to move and decided to give away some items on social media.

She was surprised by the number of messages she received, and shocked to find out how many families did not have access to essential items. 

“This pull-out couch that we had posted, there were people who wanted it as a bed for their kids to sleep on. So that sort of just struck me, and I knew in that moment, there’s got to be a better way to help people in need,” Sommer said. “How do we leverage technology to be able to fill this gap?

“As a mom of three kids, I just can’t imagine not being able to access essential items and things to help my children thrive.”

In response to this realization, Sommer collaborated with NAIT students to develop a prototype for a platform that allows people to donate items, which are then collected and distributed by local agencies. Last week, the United Way Capital Region officially launched the “Give for Good” program.

“United Way works closely with community agency partners, and this tool is being used by community agency partners right now. So non-profits, schools, social workers can go onto this tool and actually request what it is that their clients are looking for,” said Sommer.

To navigate the platform, users can visit giveforgood.ca, where they will find information about the program. By clicking the “Start Giving” button, users can scroll through requested items from various agencies or click “Give Now” to sign up. It takes less than two minutes to post an item, and donors can choose to deliver the item to the agency or have it picked up.

“It’s a really easy, safe, and secure way to be able to post that. Instead of posting it for $5, maybe just posting that bag of baby clothes to someone in need. And that’s a really good feeling,” said Sommer.

Currently, “Give for Good” is available only in the Greater Edmonton area. Sommer encourages agencies to apply and donors to sign up, expressing hope that the platform can expand to serve a larger audience and potentially provide disaster relief in the future.

“We need support to be able to improve the technology and continue to offer this technology to our community partners. As a community, if we can work together that those most vulnerable and those in need, if we can help them, if we can help alleviate those effects of poverty, then our whole community is better for it,” said Sommer.