Vale and employees show strong support for United Way

For the past 40 years, Vale and the United Steelworkers Local 6500 have been the largest contributor to the United Way Centraide North East Ontario.

A total of $20 million has been raised over the past four decades. At a gathering Thursday, the theme was thank you.

For every dollar Vale employees donated in 2022, the company matched it. Extra money was raised through other fundraising efforts, bringing the total to $571,000.

"They work here, they live here, they play here. They want to live in a community that is healthy that is thriving,” said Tina Vincent, co-chair of the Vale/USW Workplace Campaign.

“A lot of individuals, it's their only family members that need some support at times. It's their neighbours, it's their parents, sisters."

In 2022, the United Way Centraide North East Ontario funded 16 agencies. Officials said the non-profit operates on three pillars.

"Helping kids be the most that they can be. Creating healthy communities and also bringing people from property to possibility," said Mary Lou Hussak, the executive director of the United Way Centraide North East Ontario.

“So we have a number of agencies that really focus on contributing to people who need it -- when they need it.”

Vale and the union have already started fundraising this year and said every nickel is needed.

Right now, officials with the United Way said it has some tough decisions ahead as it reviews funding requests for 2023 with two to three times more requests than it can actually fund.