By Ann Austin, Live United

The United Way kicks off our campaign this Thursday. The campaign is an effort to reach the whole community with the message of the United Way. We ask for community funds, but we are also trying to build awareness of the programs that are helping others year-round.

This summer I had the chance to visit with the people who help us run our campaign — we call them the workplace coordinators. We are so grateful for the workplaces in town that run a campaign; it would be challenging to reach everyone we are able to reach without their help.

It was interesting to talk to the coordinators. They have worked with United Way for many years and have been familiar with the programs that United Way supports, but they were not aware of the depth of the work that continues in our community and all of the challenges that many local programs are facing right now.

I was heartened to see the concern on their faces and hear how passionate they were about addressing the issues. We are a small office and our work can be overwhelming at times, but we are not alone.

Our board met last week to begin our next strategic plan. It’s good to ask where we are going, what our role is in the community and what we hope to accomplish in the future.

We realize there are so many factors that cannot be controlled with what is happening in our world, our nation and our state, but I still hold fast to the truth that our community cares for each other and we will do our very best to make sure people are getting the help they need.

This means the people who help them are being thoughtful about what their true needs are, that people are not just attending a class because they have to or getting a “hand out” and returning again and again without gaining some understanding or skills to help them break free from whatever cycle they are in.

This means United Way is looking at the whole community when we make our decisions about which programs will truly impact people’s lives. And we are connecting with groups across the community to understand this impact.

We have amazing service providers in our community and United Way is working to ensure they are well supported in their work. We want to ensure they are receiving the funds they need to continue, the connections they need to better problem-solve and the awareness and support of the greater community.

The need this year is $661,000. These funds will support 33 programs in the community. When you receive a pledge card in the mail or at your workplace, please consider investing in the United Way, because it is an investment in our children, grandparents, neighbors and the good of our whole community.

Ann Austin is the executive director of the United Way of Freeborn County.