As the new chair of the board of directors, I take great pride in witnessing how United Way of Weld County stepped up in a big way during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our 2020-21 accomplishments reflect a responsive, innovative and continuing commitment to the changing needs of our community.
Our mission is to improve the lives of people in Weld County. United Way must be ever-changing in order to stay relevant. We must be transparent. We must be there for you. We continued to meet the community’s changing needs over the last 12 months by:
- Overseeing and coordinating the opening of the Bonell Non-Congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness that are especially COVID-19 vulnerable and developing multiple partnerships needed for operations.
- Continuing the response to basic needs of our young children and their families with home deliveries of thousands and thousands of diapers, formula, personal care items, information on community resources and child development resources.
- Responding with 211 Colorado Information and Referral to the needs of people in our region during the pandemic including healthcare information and resources, vaccination information, rental and mortgage assistance and basic needs assistance.
- Being on the verge of ending veteran homelessness in northern Colorado through our Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS).
- Helping Evans, Garden City and Greeley get designated as AARP Age-Friendly Communities so that, over time, with planning and action, they will become even better places for us all to live.
- Getting scholarship funds into the hands of recreation centers throughout the county to help youth thrive in sports and other activities.
These accomplishments are just a sample of what United Way did during our 2020-21 program year. I am honored to be the chair of an incredible group of volunteers who make up our board of directors. They are talented, resourceful, passionate, innovative and true ambassadors for how Weld County can become a better place to live for us all. It takes a board of directors willing to look at the difficult issues and ask the hard questions so United Way can help make a difference in the lives of you and your neighbors.
The relationships we’ve built with our amazing community partners make all the difference in the world. We couldn’t have accomplished these things without them.
We could not exist without our generous donors. Whether it’s an individual contributor, a Leadership Giver, a grant from a foundation, a government contract, an event sponsor or a Cornerstone Partner, our donors are United Way’s backbone. Plus, we thank all the volunteers who helped us throughout the year. Together we are building a better Weld County, one where children are reading to learn by the start of fourth grade, youth are working at good jobs by age 25, families have stable housing, older adults are aging well, and people are connecting to the help they need.
2020-21 was an extremely difficult year filled with many challenges, but it also brought forth exciting directions for us to look forward to and work on in the upcoming year. When we look back and think about the real people who were helped, that brings us great joy. “United Way” is more than the name of an organization; it is a way of thinking about how we can live our lives together. United is what this community is about, coming together for shared effort. Together, we can Live United.
