President

United Way of Northwest Georgia creates lasting impact and opportunities for all in Whitfield and Murray counties by focusing on the building blocks of a good life: Education, Basic Needs, and Health.

What’s the one thing you can do to help achieve all your other New Year’s resolutions?

When we choose to help, contribute, and reach out, we create change in Whitfield and Murray counties. One moment of compassion and generosity makes it possible for anyone in our community to recover from a crisis, rebuild what was lost, and reimagine a new kind of future in 2022.

As Co-Chair of this year’s United Way Campaign and member of the Board of Directors, I have seen firsthand the impact of the generous commitments that members of our community make to help one another. This giving attitude, and desire to help others, demonstrates the core values of serving others in our community.

As the leaves turn glowing shades of autumn and the temperature reaches perfect outdoor weather for us to enjoy what fall in the south means, I take in all the beauty of Northwest Georgia. Fall, for me, is synonymous with the United Way campaign.

I don’t know about you, but it always seems like summer goes by faster each year.

We are hard at work gearing up for the 2022 United Way campaign! Under the very capable and passionate leadership of the Father-Son duo of Piet and Julian Dossche, I am confident we will have another successful campaign to meet the needs of our friends and neighbors.

For the first time in two years, it has begun to feel like our community is back to normal, or some form of “new normal” that we have all come to know. I am filled with gratitude that we were able to host our first Board of Directors meeting this year in person at our United Way office.

This past year has most certainly had its times of struggle and hardship. The continued effects of the Covid-19 pandemic impacted all aspects of our lives.  The needs in our community continued to grow, and United Way volunteers answered the call to serve their community as selfless leaders.

To say 2021 was another tough year for everyone is an understatement. No one has been immune from the far-reaching impacts of the ongoing pandemic. Families across our community are still experiencing unprecedented emotional and financial strains beyond anything we could ever have imagined.