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By Craig Leroux, Senior Communications Officer

United Way Awareness Week kicked off Monday as the Queen’s campaign for the United Way neared 90 per cent of its $341,000 fundraising goal.

$306,407 has been raised so far by Queen’s students, staff, faculty and retirees, leaving a further $35,000 to raise before the campaign wraps up on Nov. 29.

This milestone was reached as the Alma Mater Society’s United Way committee kicked off its United Way Awareness Week, with events happening from Nov. 18 to 22. The week, organized by committee co-chairs Alex Blaine (ConEd’15) and Taylor Jennings (Artsci’15), aims to raise awareness of the many important local agencies supported by the United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.

Events include a screening of the film Three Voices, a heart-wrenching documentary about mental illness, on Monday evening at 6 pm in Dunning Hall. Tuesday (10 am to 3 pm) features a coin toss at the Earl St. entrance to the Athletics and Recreation Centre, with a chance to win Frontenacs hockey tickets. A speaker from a Pathways to Education, a United Way member agency, will be on campus on Thursday  at 5:30 pm (location TBA), and Friday (10:30 am to 2:30 pm) will see an awareness booth outside of Stauffer Library serve up hot chocolate and provide information about homelessness in Kingston.

The United Way has a transformational impact on the lives of many vulnerable people in our community, helping its member agencies fight hunger and poverty, provide assistance to children at-risk, and build healthier communities. Over 85,000 people benefited from local United Way programs last year. You can learn more about the impact of giving to the United Way by watching the .

With roughly two weeks left in the campaign, staff and faculty can still make a difference in our community and help Queen’s reach its fundraising goal. Simply contact human resources or telephone (613-533-6000 ext. 32070) to make a contribution.