Imagine a community where every child starts the school day with a full belly and a full backpack – and every neighbor feels seen, heard, and valued.

We thrive as individuals when we have fewer worries and feel healthy and energized. Today, about 17% of people in the United States take medication for mental health challenges – but that’s less than half the number who actually experience symptoms. Our mental health is shaped by many factors, from the lasting impact of our childhoods – like how our parents disciplined or supported us, and whether they had the financial stability to be emotionally present – to our current ability to care for ourselves, our families, and whatever the future may hold.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – a theory widely taught in psychology courses – offers a simple yet powerful framework for understanding what humans need to live happy and fulfilling lives. The model is often depicted as a pyramid: at the base are our most fundamental needs for survival, such as food, water, and shelter. Just above are our safety needs, which include physical safety, job security, and financial stability. Next come our social needs – love, connection, and a sense of belonging. Above that are esteem needs, like respect, recognition, and self-worth. At the very top is self-actualization, which represents our potential for personal growth, creativity, fulfillment, and to be ourselves fully.

We only reach this top level – our full human potential – when the other layers are firmly in place. It’s here, at the top of the pyramid, where people have the confidence and capacity to express their identities, share their talents, and build lives rich with purpose and authenticity.

Communities grow stronger as more individuals climb higher on Maslow’s pyramid. When people have access to basic needs like food, shelter, clean air and water, rest, and safety, they can begin to focus on deeper needs – love and belonging, self-esteem, and a sense of purpose. And as more people reach those higher levels, they’re better able to lend a hand to others, creating a cycle of support that lifts the entire community toward a better, more fulfilling life.

United Way of Greater Nashua – like United Ways around the world – focuses on helping communities meet the most basic levels of need so that individuals have the opportunity to help their neighborhoods, networks, and families thrive. Our communities become safer, stronger, more resilient, and more compassionate when every person has the resources to meet their basic needs – and the freedom and support to be their authentic self. When people are struggling just to survive, it’s hard for them to fully participate in family life, school, work, or community. But when those survival needs are met, people can bring their full selves – and with that comes the creativity, culture, and ideas that enrich us all.

United Way of Greater Nashua fights poverty by helping individuals and families meet their most basic needs – the foundation of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Through our food security initiatives, like the Pop-Up Pantries that bring free groceries directly into neighborhoods, our community-led Food Drives that stock area pantries, Rosie’s Pantry which provides essential – and often costly – feminine hygiene products, and our Youth Homelessness program, we work to ensure people have access to food, shelter, and basic dignity.

Once those foundational needs are met, people are better positioned to pursue safety, stability, and growth. That’s why we also build opportunity through programs like Learn United, which offers free one-on-one tutoring; Tech Access for All, which expands digital literacy; and our early childhood initiatives that set kids up for long-term success.

And because every person deserves to feel valued and seen, we strengthen inclusion by partnering with organizations that serve LGBTQ+ individuals, BIPOC communities, immigrants, people with disabilities, and others. Helping people meet these needs – from survival to belonging and beyond – is how we move communities forward, together.

A big part of what we do at United Way of Greater Nashua is bringing people and organizations together to solve complex problems. We work closely with local nonprofits, schools, healthcare providers, city departments, and national organizations to understand our community’s needs and develop meaningful, long-term solutions.

No one organization can meet every need alone – and that’s why collaboration is at the heart of our approach. We convene coalitions, share data and resources, and align efforts so we’re not duplicating work but building on each other’s strengths. Whether it’s addressing food insecurity, improving early childhood education, supporting mental health, or closing the digital divide, we make sure that the right people are at the table – including those with lived experience – to create solutions that are rooted in equity, dignity, respect, and sustainability.

When we work together to support people not just in surviving but in expressing who they truly are, we unlock the full potential of our community. That’s how we climb Maslow’s pyramid – not just as individuals, but as a united, thriving community.

You can be part of building a community where everyone has what they need to not just survive, but truly thrive. Whether it’s tutoring kids in our after school Learn United program, helping older adults keep up with constantly changing technology through Tech Access for All, making a donation to our Youth Homelessness program, or speaking up for state policies like schools providing free menstrual products for students, your actions matter. When we come together to lift each other up, sharing experiences and listening with empathy, we create a space where everyone feels seen, valued, and empowered. Join us in making Greater Nashua a place where all people can be their authentic selves and reach their full potential.