Wednesday, November 7, 2001
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Wednesday, November 7, 2001 |
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United Way is working to help those in need We have all heard the stories and seen the evidence of the generosity of the people of our great country. The tragic events of Sept. 11 have shown that the giving hearts of friends and neighbors know no bounds. On behalf of all of those United Way-supported organizations that were able to carry their difficult but critical missions during an especially stressful time of need, let me say, "Thank you!" The events of Sept. 11 now influence our everyday lives. Some of us were left profoundly changed by the horror of that day. Certainly the effects of those terrorist acts have already reached deep into each and every community in our great country and made some unexpected and profound economic changes. Many of these changes will be measured in terms of unemployment statistics, retail sales levels, housing activity, foreclosure rates, bankruptcy filings and the like. Ultimately, you and I will measure these changes in terms of their impact on our friends and neighbors. We will be concerned about who is out of work, who had their utilities turned off because they couldn't afford to pay the bills, and who has been turned out of their homes because they could no longer pay the rent or mortgage. To put it plainly, these are people in our own community who will need our help. Please allow me to remind you that the Fayette County United Way is here. Our United Way is not just about fund-raising. It is about being a community-based force with the task of doing what our community thinks is most important. As the events of Sept. 11 unfolded, the communities in which our United Way operates thought it was most important to get the word out about how we can help those directly affected. It was also important for the people of our community to have someone to turn to if they needed help coping with these tragic events. While many of you were watching the national newscasts that were covering the events of Sept. 11 and their aftermath, you saw a line of text roll across the bottom of the television screen that displayed a way to give and receive help: dialing the United Way 211 Helpline. Thousands in our community were given quick and detailed information about how to give and receive help just by dialing 211. The United Way staff and volunteers on the other end of that line will never know about the thousands of small miracles they may have initiated just by giving out the right information to the right people in a time of crisis. The mission of the United Way does not stop there. Our Fayette County United Way is working at the grass roots level to help our local nonprofit programs realize the benefits of forming partnerships among themselves and bring even more benefits to our community. Our United Way is working hard to raise funds for our local programs. Workplace campaigns, leadership giving events and community fund-raising efforts have taken on new meaning in these times of drastic change. Now, more than ever, the United Way must continue to do what our community thinks is most important. What is important is very clear ... to help our neighbors through this. Mike Jablonski Chairman, Advisory Board United Way of Fayette County
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