Please consider giving to United Way
By Teresa Thompson
So far in the 2022 ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ United Way Campaign, we are just shy of six percent toward our goal of $40,000. I’m writing to share why I am committed to giving to the United Way every year, how I got involved, and how little you can give that makes a huge difference! Please consider giving a small, recurring payroll deduction to United Way of the Tanana Valley.
For the past three years, our ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ United Way Campaign has gone down - and for good reason. COVID has changed all of our lives, inflation has affected us recently, and our lives have been somewhat turned upside down. Think about what the last three years have done in the lives of those already on the edge or in dire straits! So far this calendar year, 47,971 people in the Tanana Valley have been assisted by one of the United Way’s 17 partner agencies: 226,851 meals have been served,12,807 shelter nights have been provided, and 3,634 health screenings have been provided free of charge. This just scratches the surface of what these agencies do for our friends and neighbors in Fairbanks.
On 9/11 the entire world changed, and along with it the trajectory of my life. I grew up in Northern New York and lived in Washington, D.C., for six years, so the places most affected by the terrorist attacks were close to my heart. I decided I wanted to have a job that made a difference in the lives of people. I made the decision to leave a great job at GVEA and take a job for much less pay at United Way. I knew about United Way from helping out with the GVEA United Way campaign, but I was in for a shock. Back then, in my comfortable little life, I didn’t realize that so many people in our community go hungry. Or that so many children are sexually abused, or how many women and children suffer from domestic violence - right here in Fairbanks! I have been a supporter ever since.
For as little as $5 to $10 a pay period, you can help change the direction of someone’s life. If everyone employed at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ gave $5 per pay period, that would equal $561,860. Think of the difference ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ can make in the lives of our community members, and log on to the today. Thank you so much, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.