It is with great honor that I serve this year as the United Way of Central Illinois board chair. My WHY? – Because I can, it is the right thing to do and it feels good! Knowing the 100% of my gift goes to a program to help someone is vitally important to me. Understanding that the grant funds are allotted by community professionals who are in tune with the issue areas and can make decisions based on our community’s most urgent needs is crucial. And lastly, being a part of something much bigger than myself, making a lasting impact and changing the narrative of our future is motivating to me.
Leading the way in our community for over 100 years, the United Way’s mission is to improve lives by uniting our community to address the basic needs, education, financial stability and health of every person. Specifically in the area of education and more granular, early childhood education, the United Way recognizes the importance to maintain the building blocks for a good quality of life, keeping children on track in school, helping them learn, achieve and succeed while engaging their families and communities along the way.
Through the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, United Way of Central Illinois has provided more than 200,000 books to help children across Sangamon and Menard Counties to share the joy of reading at home! A small and what might seem insignificant investment will have a tremendous impact on families and futures, and with your gift, you will be helping parents and children begin a lifelong journey of learning together. This wonderful program was founded in 2011, made possible by a generous donation made by the Steve and Eileen Scheel and has grown incredibly following that seed donation.
Programs like Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Camp Kindergarten encourage not only early reading but also prepare children socially and emotionally for the classroom and the world at large. These programs are vital to numerous children in our community. United Way's goal is for everyone, everywhere to thrive, and that begins with our youngest minds. As 2023 comes to an end and we look toward 2024, I'd like to ask you to consider a gift to United Way and invest in our community and our future.