Despite going through the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, we still live in a land of abundance.
Most of us live in decent homes, own our own car, eat well and have enough left over for entertainment. Most of us can say we’ve been blessed to live in this time and this place. Still, many live on the edge, barely getting by in our society for a wide variety of reasons.
Addiction, mental illness, poor home life and other unfortunate circumstances make too many vulnerable.
Generally, we are a generous society. We want to help, be it mentoring a struggling teen, feeding the hungry, teaching the illiterate to read, or making sure an abused woman has a safe place to stay.
But while we want to give, it is the giving itself that gets in the way.
That’s where the United Way of Lewis County steps in. The organization is professionally run by a quality staff and a vigorous board of directors.
A group of 34 community investment volunteers pour over applications for United Way financial assistance. Only the most qualified agencies that serve basic, fundamental needs are chosen after a thorough vetting process.
What makes United Way work for most is the ease in setting up an automatic paycheck payment. It almost makes it feel like one has not put up any money.
For example, coming up with $500 for your local food bank is daunting, and only the most generous and financially capable drive up to the agency and drop off such cash. But when it comes out of your paycheck, it isn’t even noticeable. For those who get paid every two weeks, it’s a deduction of about $19.
That’s not a big dent and for most, a doable action. And the impact is amazing. The United Way of Lewis County raises about $600,000 a year. It allows us to build a better community, a healthier society. In all, United Way of Lewis County provides funding for 17 partner agencies.
For example, the Human Response Network, with the help of $28,000 in United Way funding, delivered 7,100 services to victims of domestic violence this past year.
The annual campaign began earlier this month. If your company is not participating, consider talking to the boss about setting up a paycheck deduction process. For details, you can call the United Way of Lewis County at (360) 748-8100.