Filling the Gaps, Addressing the Needs, We’re Your United Way

Have you ever wondered what our community would look like if everyone just took care of themselves and never thought about how they could make things a little better for their neighbor?  I personally would never want to live in a community like that, I mean could you even call that a community at all?  Well lucky for us, we live in a community where most people genuinely care about those around them.  That my friends is why we have a phenomenal opportunity to grow and extend our caring power in Steele County.

Every day we seek out the obstacles that prevent people from having a good quality of life.  We then collaborate with individuals and organizations that are directly impacted, those that have the power to influence change, or those that are willing and able to impact potential solutions.  Once a solution is identified, together, we implement a plan with the goal of filling that gap and affecting transformational change in our community.  Lots of hands working together to make things just a little better for their neighbor, that is the United Way. 

My challenge to each of you.  For the next 30 days, take 5 minutes each day and think about how you can make things a little better for someone else, maybe even someone you don’t know and journal not what you did, but how it made you feel and if you know how it made the other person feel.  This could be something as simple as taking the time to strike up a conversation with someone in line at the grocery store or asking someone how they are doing today not because we are programmed to do that but because we genuinely care about their answer.  We each hold the power to do better, to be better, one day at a time.  There are opportunities all around us to fill the gaps and create an environment were all feel welcomed and valued.  Will you join me?

Filling the Gaps, Addressing the Needs, We’re Your United Way.   LIVE UNITED.     

Annette Duncan is President of United Way of Steele County.  She can be reached at 507-455-1180