Dear Friends:

As we look to (finally) put 2020 in our rear view mirrors, I thought that it might make sense to highlight a bit of the work done at your United Way this year.

The infographic above tells pretty much most of the story. The simple fact is that with United Way this year….

Thousands of school lunches were served

Hundreds of laptops and hotspots got into the hands of our remote learners

Dozens of nonprofits received critical funding to continue operations

Over 150,000 facemasks and hundreds of gallons of hand sanitizer were distributed in our community

Students got connected to tutoring supports

Dozens of small businesses received the PPE they needed to stay open

Numerous home bound and out of work individuals (thousands, actually) received critical food supports during the shutdown and quarantine

Vaccines and COVID testing are being aided due to the support of UW volunteers

Thousands of pounds of food were collected in food drives and distributed to local pantries

There is much more, and all of this is ON TOP OF our normal work within the community, including our ongoing support for over 40 local community programs which make up our community safety net. In fact, we never missed a beat with making our grant payments to organizations like the Adult Learning Center, the Boys and Girls Club, and Home Health and Hospice… in spite of everything.

That’s why this year, more than any other EVER before, United Way needs the support of the thousands of community individuals who support our annual campaign. There is simply no substitute for the committed support of a dedicated community.

So, if you have already given, THANK YOU. If you have, but can give a little more, THANK YOU. And if you are giving for the first time, THANK YOU! In any and every case our promise will be to ensure that your donations, no matter how large or small, will make a tremendous difference in our community!

With warmest regards and hope for a fantastic 2021,

Mike

PS: The CARES Act provided for a $300 indivitdual / $600 family tax deduction for non-itemizers. Be sure to take advantage of this unique opportunity to support your community with a tax deductable donation!