United Way: Give where you live, it matters

Spectrum, by Mimi Pippel

At the United Way of Mat-Su we're energized and motivated to raise money to help meet our community's needs. This energy comes from knowing that our partner agencies are providing quality services in our community and they need our help to keep doing that. Our motivation comes from a sense of urgency because financial resources are extremely limited. With recent state and federal budget cuts it is crucial that individuals and businesses within our own community help provide the financial resources for the programs and services that help our friends, families and neighbors in need.

Each year at this time, our United Way of Mat Su offers a method for mobilizing the community support that is so desperately needed: the annual fun-raising campaign. This year, the campaign theme is "what matters." It represents United Way's continuing focus on doing what matters in our community.

Your United Way of Mat-Su knows that resources matter, so we focus on an organized and strategic plan for raising money and promoting volunteerism. This year our goal is to raise $500,000 for 19 nonprofit health and human service agencies in the Mat-Su Borough. Last year, in addition to our direct fund raising and allocations, we also administered federal funds for emergency food and shelter assistance, the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and transportation assistance to seniors and persons with disabilities. Our volunteer efforts include Mat-Su Youth United, a service learning partnership with the Mat-Su Borough School District; the Dorothy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award and Appreciation Luncheon; volunteer information and referral, and the coordination of more than 100 volunteers who assist us with fund raising and allocations.

Our United Way of Mat-Su knows that community building matters, so we focus on bringing diverse groups of people together to work on issues and solve problems. Last year, we took a leadership role in producing a comprehensive community needs assessment that gauged assets and identified challenges that our valley faces. This process involved eight communities in the borough, 515 households, 20 key informants and 35 businesses. Five community forums brought together Valley people from the nonprofit sector, the business community, and state and local government to determine priorities for our community's development.

The United Way of Mat-Su knows that results matter, so we focus our efforts on the activities and programs that make a measurable difference in the quality of life in this community. Many people are not aware that the Wasilla Food Bank is the second busiest food bank in Alaska, distributing more than 20,000 pounds of food each month. United Way of Mat-Su's annual food drive helps to collect food for the food banks in Wasilla and Palmer right before the holiday season. Sadly enough, the need is greater every year. What can a United Way of Mat-Su contribution provide? For $2 per pay period a family of four could receive four food baskets containing four days of food and 15 new parents in the hospital could receive information packets on parenting, child health, managing siblings, self-care and infant care. For $10 per pay period a battered women and her children could receive 12 nights of safe shelter, persons experiencing a chronic mental illness could receive 40 rides and 13 people could access basic needs and crisis counseling. For $40 per pay period a runaway youth could receive 11 days of safe haven, 14 Valley people could receive substance abuse assessments and 788 miles of transportation for seniors could be provided. If you and your friends contribute can you imagine what a huge step we would be taking towards a healthier community?

Our United Way of Mat-Su knows that everyone in our community matters, so we support programs such as those provided by the Alaska Family Resource Center, Mat-Su Recovery Center, Nugen's Ranch, Sunshine Community Health Center and The Children's Place. These agencies provide a broad array of services to strengthen families and individuals. The Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, Mat-Su Services for Children and Adults and Chugiak Children's Services nurture children and youth. Maximizing independence for seniors and persons with disabilities is accomplished through programs offered by Daybreak, Mid-Valley Seniors, Palmer Senior Center and the Wasilla Senior Center, and the American Red Cross, Behavioral Health Services of Mat-Su (LifeQuest), Kids Are People and the Salvation Army help maintain safety nets for many of your friends and neighbors.

I'd like to give you an indication of why I agreed to be campaign chair this year by telling you what matters to me. What matters to me is community pride -- the kind of pride that you feel when you are a part of something good that is larger than just you or your immediate circle of family and friends. United Way of Mat-Su fosters that kind of pride in this community.

What matters to me also is the future. There is so much uncertainty in the world right now. In our own community many issues threaten to divide us but we have the power to determine the Valley's future. To do that, we have to ask ourselves "what matters?" and then work together to stay focused. I'm asking all of you to do that. Please stay focused on what matters in this community and please take action to do what matters.

Give generously to United Way of Mat-Su. Because now more than ever -- it matters.

Mimi Pippel is a volunteer with the local United Way chapter.