Almost hidden among the long-awaited homecoming of the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Shoup Friday was another reason to break out the pompoms: the announcement that this county pulled together once again to bring in $10.3 million for our United Way of Snohomish County.
That’s above average for United Way communities our size, said Carl Zapora, president of our local chapter, but to put in even better perspective:
* It’s $220,000 more than was raised in 2003.
* More than 5,200 new donors signed up this time.
* The total number of donors is expected to exceed the previous year.
* Some companies went beyond their previous contributions.
* More people volunteered their time to the organization than last year.
True, things are improving and cities throughout the county are enthusiastically pursuing new and exciting projects to make their communities more attractive and boost their economies. But trouble is never very far away and circumstances can change in the flash of a house fire, a lost job, a flood or that second chance that always seems one or two steps in front of, or behind, us. Most of us have weathered that rough spell in life – or know those who have – to realize that help in the form of a children’s program, housing repairs or a bag of groceries makes not only an immediate difference, but a lifetime impact on us and our family.
This community’s confidence in its local United Way has always been strong, but it is growing even stronger with the organization’s shift in focus from merely fundraising to providing money to organizations that can demonstrate what their goal is and how they’re achieving it. The creation of the United Way vision councils, centered on kids, family and communities, instills even more confidence in the agency’s ability to accomplish “what matters most.”
We can always use more reasons to celebrate and United Way, with its strong focus on making tangible impacts on the lives of our neighbors and friends, not just raking in the money, has given us another opportunity to be part of its success.
It’s one more reason we should be ready to dig a little deeper in our wallets next year.
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