Column by Dave Bonnerup, Touch a Life

I&8217;m thankful that &8230;

&8230; all kids can participate in healthy activities at the Y because of sliding fee memberships &8230;

&8230;community members with developmental disabilities can have an active social life at The Arc of Freeborn County &8230;

&8230; counseling is provided for people who are hurting by Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Service &8230;

&8230; job coaches guide employees and help them become self sufficient, supported by Cedar Valley Services &8230;

&8230; Chemical Dependency Center has groups for teens struggling with drug and alcohol addiction &8230;

&8230; Circle of Parents facilitates support groups for parents struggling with parenting skills &8230;

&8230; there is support for victims of crime at the Crime Victims Crisis Center &8230;

&8230;Domestic Abuse Project offers classes for abusers to teach them not to abuse &8230;

&8230; Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts train adult role models and leaders for girls and boys of all ages &8230;

&8230;Crisis Nursery coordinates safe havens for young kids and babies when their families are in crisis &8230;

&8230; the Red Cross collects enough blood

for emergencies &8230;

&8230; there is a warm place to live for homeless families at Semcac &8230;

&8230; senior citizens can get a ride to important doctors appointments with the volunteer drivers of RSVP &8230;

&8230; parents can go to work and know their kids are safe at The Children&8217;s Center &8230;

&8230; there are people like Bob, an anonymous donor from Lake Mills, Iowa, who regularly mails a dollar bill and a note to &8220;help those in need&8221; &8230;

&8230; people volunteer to help the United Way and all the other organizations dedicated to making life in Freeborn County better &8230;

&8230; citizens of

Freeborn County are so generous when asked to give to United Way &8230;

&8230; when I need help from a program supported by United Way, even if I have no money, I can get it.

Dave Bonnerup is the executive director of the United Way of Freeborn County.