London developers give $200k to COVID relief

Two London developers each donate $100k for regional COVID-19 relief

THE UNITED WAY has received $200,000 from a pair of London-based developers to help its ongoing effort to support the region’s most vulnerable through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Old Oak Properties and The Tricar Group have kicked in $100,000 each to the United Way’s Local Love Global Crisis community response fund.

“We’re a local company,” says Greg Bierbaum, president of Old Oak Properties. “That’s why it’s really important to support the local community that supported us.”

Bierbaum hopes Old Oak’s leading gift will inspire corporations and citizens to step up and do what they can to help our community’s most vulnerable. “When people see good things happening, they want to do good things, too. Large gestures like this inspire people to ask, How can I help?”

United Way launched the Local Love in a Global Crisis community response fund in response to requests from corporations, labour and community leaders and individual donors in our community, asking what they could do to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funds from Tricar will be disbursed proportionally in the Southwestern Ontario communities where the firm works and where they build, with $50,000 to Elgin Middlesex, $35,000 to Guelph Wellington Dufferin, $10,000 to Sarnia-Lambton and $5,000 to Perth-Huron.

“Now is the time for the community to come together to support those in need as a result of the COVID-19 crisis,” says Adam Carapella, vice-president of The Tricar Group. “Building homes also means building communities and we are committed to helping uphold the health, safety and vibrancy within these communities.”

“We may be in uncertain times, but it is reassuring to know that that can rely upon the support of partners who share our commitment to supporting the most vulnerable through this crisis,” added Kelly Ziegner, president and CEO, United Way Elgin Middlesex. “Together with donors, agency partners and other funders, we are creating a coordinated full-spectrum safety net in London, informed by the work of the Mayor’s Social Impact and Recovery Task Force.”

“We chose to partner with the United Way as they work closely with community partners and are able to identify and quickly respond to the most urgent needs,” added Carapella. “Everyone has an important role to play as we are truly all in this together. The Southwestern Ontario business community certainly recognize their role as industry and community partners and are stepping up in this time of need.”

To date, United Way Elgin Middlesex has facilitated more than $1 million in COVID-19 recovery efforts to through charitable giving, future pledges and government grants. United Way will start flowing money next week to community service agencies locally, and through select other United Ways where our local corporate partners have a footprint, to help them meet increasing urgent basic needs.