From Campaign Chair

Karen Everett’s speech from the 2011 Campaign kickoff meeting:

Have you ever thought about how the UW touches our lives and the lives of those living in our community every day? The UW plays a big part in making Wells County a great place to live. The flyer on your table talks about some of the ways the UW makes a difference “around the clock”.

Maybe your children or grandchildren have received books from the Imagination Library. These are great books at no cost to the child’s family.

Or maybe you have used Wells on Wheels. My friend, Ann, hit the back of a stopped semi in dense fog on her way to work one morning. She broke both ankles in multiple places and her legs required many surgeries. Wells on Wheels took Ann to her hospital and doctor appointments. What a blessing they were to her.

Maybe the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts have touched you or your children’s lives. Whatever the UW funded program, it makes a difference in our community and makes Wells County a better place to live.

All of us know that to make a difference takes at least three things, time, funds and a passion. For me, the UW is a passion. I feel very honored to be involved in making a difference in our community by being involved in this year’s campaign. Today each of us has an opportunity to make a difference.

I would like to tell you where my passion for the UW comes from. When I was a young child, I remember my dad coming home from work telling us that he was having one dollar a week taken from his pay to give to the UW. He said, “If everyone just gave one dollar each week it could help people in our community that needed help.” Let’s face it, that was a LONG time ago! A dollar back then was probably a lot more than Dad made an hour.

My Dad continues to live his passion for the UW. Today at 81 years old, he is still on the board of the UW of Adams County. My dad, Leonard King is here today. Thank you dad for all your years of service to the UW. I challenge each of you to pass your passions on to your children and grandchildren.

To me giving is fun. It is rewarding and makes you just feel good to help someone else. Really, we feel so proud that we are able to help other. You would not be here today if your passion wasn’t to see beyond yourself.

Some of the UW supported programs are to help families struggling financially. How many of you know someone who is laid off or cannot find work right now? Someone who is finding it harder and harder to make ends meet? Unless you live under a box, you know many people like this. Or maybe you know a single mom trying to stretch a dollar as far as it will go. Or a dad who used to have a high paying job and now works for minimum wage just to put food on the table.

My husband, Roger, and I have been married now 38 years. In those 38 years, between the two of us, we have been laid off at least 11 times. We have never taken having a job for granted.

Right now around 10% of our county is laid off or without work. That means around 90% are working. Most of us in the room today are part of that 90%. We have a chance to make a difference in our community.

I pray that you never have to experience what that 10% is going through. Not knowing when child is sick if you will have enough money for a doctor appointment and medicine. Knowing Christmas is coming soon, but there will be no gifts this year. Every time when you go to the mailbox, you pray there are no bills in the mail that day because you don’t have any money to pay them. I have been there and it isn’t fun! Again, the UW steps in with funded programs such as 211, Panos Free Clinic and Santa’s Workshop.

Some people feel that since they cannot give a large amount, they will just not give anything. I think back to what Jesus said about the Widow’s offering in the Bible. Jesus watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Jesus said, “This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her po-ver-ty”. There is no gift too small.

NFPs are hurting. Funding is being cut right and left. Everyone is making do on less. Our local UW helps fund several programs of the NFPs in our community. Our goal this year is $325,000. We need to meet this goal to continue to fund the programs listed on your flyer. The only way we can do this is with your help.

I go back to what my dad said all those years ago, “If everyone just gave what they could, it would help people in our community that needed help.”

So today I challenge each of you to look deep inside of yourself. Are you truly thankful for community that we have? Are you doing your part to make this community a better place? We have been blessed and we have this opportunity to bless those who need it right now. I challenge you to step up and make a difference. It is going to take all of us and many more to reach this year’s goal of $325,000. But, together I believe we will do it! May God will bless you more than you can imagine.