Community Partner Spotlight: Community Counselling and Resource Centre

When our next Community Partner saw an unmet need for community-based counselling in Northumberland, they turned to United Way for support. Since 1956, the Community Counselling and Resource Centre (CCRC) has provided professional, caring support to people in Peterborough City and County. As of April 2022, the CCRC has expanded their professional counselling services to Northumberland County to help area residents.

Counselling is offered on a sliding fee scale to adults ages 18 and older, with no one turned away due to the inability to pay. With funding from United Way, the CCRC was able to hire one Master level counsellor, Lori Montgomery, who began providing services in Northumberland in April last year.

At CCRC, they see some of the most vulnerable members of our community. People from all walks of life, who are facing a number of different challenges that counselling could help with.

“Consider a young family, the parents working low paying jobs, but getting by. Suddenly in March 2020 they were without childcare. Maybe they were ok when we all thought it was ‘only two weeks’ – but as things went on jobs were lost and the realization hit that someone needed to be home with the kids, and nothing was getting back to normal. The anxiety of not knowing if they will be able to keep their home or adequately support their children begins to cause strain in the relationship, leading to conflict. These are the people we see.”

This is an example of people who find their way to the CCRC. People who may not be able to afford the fees of private counsellors, but who desperately need the support. People who, with counselling, can develop and maintain the tools and strategies they need to manage day to day life.

“People who find services like ours are so grateful that they can access counselling and other forms of support that is affordable, or free.  All made possible because of the United Way. The support of United Way would not be possible without your support. On behalf of our clients, thank you. Thank you for making sure there is equal access to counselling for everyone in our community. Your support makes our community that much stronger.” – Kirsten Armbrust, Executive Director, Community Counselling & Resource Centre