2025 Campaign Chair: Paul Rellinger

Paul remains an effective and passionate communicator with 45 years of combined print and radio broadcast media experience.

As a journalist and columnist, Paul has been awarded numerous honours, including a Canadian Community Newspapers’ Association (CCNA) award, four Ontario Community Newspapers’ Association (OCNA) awards and three Metroland Media editorial awards. In 2008, he was presented with the OCNA Silver Quill Award in recognition of 25 years of community newspaper service.

Paul started his professional journey in 1980 as a news feed editor with CKO All-News Radio in Toronto before joining the ranks of 1350 CKAR in Oshawa as a producer and reporter. From 1983 to 2016, Paul was an editor and columnist for Metroland Media Group, including 27 years with Peterborough This Week. Since 2016, under the name of Rellinger Writing Services, Paul has been a features writer for kawarthaNOW, and since 2022, has sourced and written news content for Oldies 96.7/Freq 90.5.

Name chair of the 2025-26 United Way of Peterborough and District campaign in May 2025, Paul is the past chair of Peterborough Musicfest, is the longstanding chair of Peterborough Family Literacy Day, is a past president of the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough, and has sat on the boards of a number of community organizations.

For his community work, Paul was inducted into Peterborough’s Pathway of Fame in 2021 and, in 2024, received the United Way’s Champions of Change of Award for showing ‘dedication, passion and tenacity in inspiring his colleagues to give back, raising funds for, and awareness of, key issues facing our community.’

Outside of work, Paul is on a sincere but woefully futile quest to own every postage stamp ever issued and is a rabid reader of history – Paul claims to know who killed JFK, but can’t say who out of fear for the safety of his oh so supportive wife Mary, his three wonderful kids and his four spirited grandchildren. Paul counts among his passions Peterborough’s rich live music scene, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Blue Jays, playing slo-pitch, and retrieving golf balls from the woods.

Social Posts

From all of us at the Peterborough & District United Way, we are wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year! We're excited to continue our work with our amazing donors, partners, and volunteers in the years to come.

📅 Reminder: The tax deadline for charitable contributions is December 31.

Show your #LocalLove and donate to United Way Peterborough & District to help build community & change lives. 

Consider donating today, visit the link in our bio to learn more about our work and ways to give.
2025, what a year! 

We’re so grateful for the generosity, care, and community spirit that made these moments possible.

As the year comes to a close, this is also a friendly reminder that gifts made by December 31 are eligible for 2025 charitable tax receipting. Thank you for supporting your neighbours, today and all year long.

Learn more about the ways to give at the link in our bio.

Reminder: there is a secure mailbox located at the front of our office (277 Stewart St.) checked daily.
🚨Reaching Home Funding Applications Are Now Open!🚨

United Way Peterborough & District is happy to share that we are accepting applications from agencies for the Reaching Home program, on behalf of the Government of Canada.

👉 What is Reaching Home? It is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding to communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.

Applications close January 22nd, 2026. Find eligibility requirements and full application details on our website:
🔗 uwpeterborough.ca/reaching-home/ or follow the link in our bio
To our neighbours,

As we head into the holiday season, we want to take a moment to say thank you. Your generosity, kindness, and commitment to community have meant so much to us throughout the year.

Whether you gave your time, made a donation, attended an event, or simply showed up for local causes, you helped make Peterborough & District a stronger, more caring place.

As of 12:00 pm today (Dec. 24), our office will be closed for the holidays and will reopen on January 5. During this time, we hope you’re able to slow down, rest, and enjoy meaningful moments with the people who matter most.

From all of us at United Way Peterborough & District, we wish you and your loved ones a warm, peaceful holiday season and a new year filled with hope, connection, and possibility.
After more than a decade of dedicated leadership, we are sharing the news that our CEO, Jim Russell, will retire in July 2026.

Since joining United Way Peterborough & District in 2011, Jim has been a steady and passionate force for community change, leading more than $36 million in revenue generation and championing critical work to address poverty, homelessness, and income inequality across our region.

Under Jim’s leadership, United Way Peterborough and District has strengthened its role as a trusted community partner through impactful research, including Housing is Fundamental, multiple Point-in-Time Counts, and The Gap reports on income adequacy and living wages.

Jim’s commitment to Peterborough & District, and to building a more equitable, resilient community, has left a lasting mark. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and look forward to celebrating his legacy over the coming months. 

Please join us in congratulating Jim on his incredible contributions to our community!
🎄✨Festive sweaters described in one word only!

We brought the holiday spirit in support of our @unitedwayptbo workplace campaign!

Which one’s your favourite? 🤨

#UnitedWayPTBO #BuildingCommunity
As the holidays approach, we wanted to share a quick update on our office hours.

Our office will be closing early on Wednesday and Thursday of this week as we celebrate the season with our staff, board and committees. We will then be closed beginning at noon on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) through January 5, returning to regular office hours in the new year.

If you or someone you know needs support during this time, please remember that help is available by calling 211, 24/7.

Wishing you a safe, restful, and joyful holiday season. 🎄✨
Looking for food support this holiday season? 

Please visit the City of Peterborough website for information on food banks and free meals. 

peterborough.ca/foodcalendar
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