The United Way of Chatham-Kent introduced their volunteer Campaign Co-Chairs at their 2016 Annual General Meeting on Wednesday night, and a former Wallaceburg resident is taking on one of the lead roles.
Patricia Wright, a service recipient from multiple United Way funded programs, and Steve Pratt, community development coordinator of AIDS Support Chatham-Kent will lead the organization’s annual fundraising effort in 2016.
Steve was born and raised in Wallaceburg before moving to Toronto where he attended both the University of Toronto and York University.
After graduating, Steve went on to work with a Fortune 50 company where he quickly became one of their youngest operations executives in the history of the company.
While working in Toronto Steve struggled with mental illness and addiction.
Returning home to Chatham-Kent he eventually found treatment and support from United Way supported agencies.
Today, Steve has returned to school to complete part-time post-graduate studies in psycholinguistics.
He’s also working to break the silence around mental health and addictions, particularly in the workplace, through openly sharing his own lived experience.
Patricia grew up in Ancaster but has been a proud resident of Chatham-Kent for nearly 10 years.
In 2010, Patricia was struck by a vehicle and suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which led to PTSD and epilepsy.
“Without United Way funded services I would still be stuck in a wheelchair, withdrawn from society, and non-communicative. I wouldn’t be here today.”
Patricia volunteers with numerous services supported by United Way and last year she became an agency speaker, giving presentations in workplaces across Chatham-Kent emphasizing the necessity of these services in our community.
“Seeing the effect my story had on others and how it impacted their decision to donate made me want to do more to ensure these services are there for people who need them.”
While Patricia spends a lot of her time volunteering, she is also an accomplished brown belt having recently competed and placed in International competitions in British Columbia and Las Vegas.
Steve and Patricia look forward to working with their 2016 campaign cabinet which will be made up of both new faces and some returning members from last year.
