Contact United Way Peterborough & District

Office Location

277 Stewart Street, Peterborough, Ontario  K9J 3M8

Office Hours

Monday through Friday  9AM-5PM

Saturday and Sunday CLOSED

Phone

705-742-8839

Email

office@uwpeterborough.ca

Staff

Jim Russell, CEO

Phone: 705-742-8839 x 26
Email: jrussell@uwpeterborough.ca

Rhonda Gilchrist, Senior Director of Operations and Revenue Generation

Phone: 705-742-8839 x 27
Email: rgilchrist@uwpeterborough.ca

Betsy MacDonald, Senior Director of Impact and Communications **On leave**

Phone: 705-742-8839 x 28
Email: bmacdonald@uwpeterborough.ca

Tonya Kraan, Director of Community Impact **On leave**

Phone: 705-742-8839 x 30
Email: tkraan@uwpeterborough.ca

Elyse Belsey, Campaign Officer

Phone: 705-742-8839 x 32 Cell: 705-772-6681
Email: ebelsey@uwpeterborough.ca 

Jessica Easton, Finance/Data Officer

Phone:705-742-8839 x 21
Email: jeaston@uwpeterborough.ca

Adeline Murphy, Campaign Officer

Phone: 705-742-8839 x 25 Cell: 705-313-0651
Email: amurphy@uwpeterborough.ca 

Elisha Rubacha, Community Impact Officer

Phone: 705-742-8839 x 33
Email: erubacha@uwpeterborough.ca

Joy Uson, Finance/Data Officer

Phone:705-742-8839 x 31
Email: cjuson@uwpeterborough.ca

Kathrine Williams, Community Engagement Project Coordinator

Phone: 705-742-8839 x 33
Email: kwilliams@uwpeterborough.ca

Board of Directors

Chair
Karen Wilson – Executive Director, Employment Planning & Counselling Peterborough

Past Chair
Dr. Marcus Harvey – Executive Director, Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA)

Treasurer and Chair, Finance Committee
Brock Maschke – Chief Financial Officer, Swish Maintenance

Chair,  Community Impact Committee
Nancy Fischer – Retired, City of Peterborough

Directors

  • Sahar Afroz – Manager, Sam’s Place
  • Reem Ali – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advisor, City of Peterborough
  • Mike Baxter – Commercial Banking Senior Relationship Manager, CIBC
  • Joëlle Favreau – Health Promoter Specialist, Peterborough Public Health
  • Bruce Gibson – Retired; Dentist
  • Adam Hopkins – Senior Vice President, Academic at FNTI (First Nations Technical Institute)
  • Christi Nash – Co-Founder & Partner, Arising Collective

Labour Council Representatives | Labour Partnership

  • Marion Burton – Executive Member At Large, Peterborough & District Labour Council
  • Dr. Marcus Harvey, Executive Director Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA)

Ex-Officio

Jim Russell – Chief Executive Officer, United Way Peterborough & District

Committees

Community Impact Committee

The Community Impact Committee guides United Way’s strategies to achieve the community priorities identified in our Community Impact Agenda while also stewarding the ongoing development and evaluation of our priorities to ensure they remain relevant and responsive to our community.

The Community Impact Committee oversees United Way’s relationship building activities with its partner agencies and other community initiatives.

Chair: Nancy Fischer

Committee Members:

  • Joëlle Favreau
  • Heather Holland
  • Christie Nash
  • Kathy Neill
  • Karen Wilson

Community Advisory Board

The Community Advisory Board (CAB) acts as an advisory body to the Community Entity (CE) for Peterborough (United Way) providing guidance on issues of homelessness in the community. The Community Advisory Board (CAB) is expected to coordinate efforts at the community or regional level.

Learn more about Reaching Home: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada – Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy

Co-Chairs: Jim Russell and Jocelyn Blazey

Committee Members:

  • Sewina Chu (Housing, Infrastructure & Communities Canada)
  • Aimee LeLagadec
  • Alana Parisien
  • Annie Hedden
  • Ashley Safar
  • Christian Harvey
  • Dana Hetherton
  • Dane Record
  • Debbie Carriere
  • Dion Gemmiti
  • Donna Rogers
  • Jennifer Bain
  • Jim Hendry
  • John Beamish
  • Kerri Kightley
  • Lenard Hall
  • Lori Flynn
  • Naomi Nichols
  • Paul Armstrong

Finance Committee

Chair: Brock Maschke – Chief Financial Officer, Swish Maintenance Limited / Charlotte Products Ltd.

Committee Members:

  • Mike Baxter – Manager, Commercial Banking CIBC
  • Steve Henderson – RBC Dominion Securities Inc
  • David Martin – Community Member
  • Murray Miskin – Lawyer, Miskin Law
  • Meghan Valentine – Manager, Financial Services, PRHC

Community Campaign Cabinet

  • Paul Rellinger, 2025 Campaign Chair
  • Darcy Bonner, Community Ambassador
  • Michael Eamon, Trent University
  • Ann Farquharson, Farquharson Law
  • Coby Fewings, Scotiabank
  • Bruce Gibson, Community Ambassador
  • Marg Glenn, Glenn Isle Farms
  • Sheridan Graham, County of Peterborough
  • Greg Kidd, KPRDSB
  • Richard Lambert, BMO
  • Evan Lyons, PRHC
  • Laken MacFarlane, City of Peterborough
  • Vipesh Patel, Community Ambassador
  • Thomas Piggot, HKNP Health Unit
  • Amanda Pinder, RBC
  • Stephan Ragaz, Community Ambassador
  • Balkaran Singh Sathi, Sathi Law
  • Jeannine Taylor, KawarthaNOW
  • Sebastien Tinor-Roy, TD Bank
  • Staff Sargeant John Townsend, Peterborough Police
  • Shirley Turner, EXIT Realty Liftlock
  • Danielle Turpin, Community Ambassador

Contact 211

211 is a free and confidential service that easily connects people to the critical social and community supports they need. Unlike search engines, 211 applies a human touch for personalized solutions. Their highly-trained and accredited Community Navigators know how to ask the right questions to get the full picture of a person’s needs.

Learn more about 211: 211 Peterborough

Older adult calling 211

Social Posts

🚨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

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Open post by unitedwayptbo with ID 18544235956054806
🚨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.

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Open post by unitedwayptbo with ID 18074348807595011
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!

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Open post by unitedwayptbo with ID 17853016254598368
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

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Open post by unitedwayptbo with ID 17924858445196038
🎄✨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. 🎄✨

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Open post by unitedwayptbo with ID 18097154434675251
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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Open post by unitedwayptbo with ID 18300665986257181
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

❤️It’s Thank You Thursday!❤️

Thank you to the whole team at J & M Automotive who welcomed us into their shop to present a generous gift to @unitedwayptbo

We also want to thank @darcybonner2829 Campaign Cabinet member, for helping build these strong community connections.

We’re so grateful for local businesses who step up for our community! Remember that every dollar raised here, stays here supporting our 20 outstanding partner agencies.

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Open post by unitedwayptbo with ID 18300798958261692
❤️It’s Thank You Thursday!❤️ Thank you to the whole team at J & M Automotive who welcomed us into their shop to present a generous gift to @unitedwayptbo We also want to thank @darcybonner2829 Campaign Cabinet member, for helping build these strong community connections. We’re so grateful for local businesses who step up for our community! Remember that every dollar raised here, stays here supporting our 20 outstanding partner agencies.

❄️Even with the snow coming down outside, our spirit week continues strong with Statement Sock Day!

🧦Bold statements, adorable animals, throwback characters - the team brought it all.

❤️Proud of this team for finding joy, colour and community no matter the weather!

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Open post by unitedwayptbo with ID 18088185874963555
❄️Even with the snow coming down outside, our spirit week continues strong with Statement Sock Day! 🧦Bold statements, adorable animals, throwback characters - the team brought it all. ❤️Proud of this team for finding joy, colour and community no matter the weather!
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