Campaign Kick Off

Deelia Warner, US Bank and campaign chair, writes this week's blog as we kick off our campaign today.  She rocks!

Well, okay, here goes my very first blog.  Yes, that’s right, you’ve got a virgin blogger here, so be kind while reading, please. 

I first heard of United Way when I was working in the Portland area and someone from US Bank (oddly enough, not the bank I was working for at the time) came to a staff meeting and explained she was a Loaned Executive, talked about agencies that United Way helped support, yada yada.  Let me tell you, I was not so much impressed with what she was saying, but how she appeared to me.  Now, at that time, I had recently moved to the Portland area from Josephine County, and I was already dealing with significant culture shock, but there stood a very attractive, professional, articulate woman who was sharing her story about why she was going from bank to bank to share the story of United Way.  I figured if someone as impressive as her thought highly of this United Way thing, maybe I should look into it myself.  After all, she appeared to be exactly the kind of professional woman I wanted so much to be.

That’s when I became a United Way giver, but it was many years later that I actually became involved.  One year I helped one of my coworkers with her responsibilities as an LE, this time back in Josephine County, but still I was just looking in from the outside.  And then Stan Penn, my boss at the time, asked me if I would help him with the United Way campaign that year.  Now, to be honest, there’s not much I wouldn’t do for Stan Penn.  So of course, I said yes. Talk about a pivotal decision. It’s like when Jason was speaking during one of the campaign luncheons last year.  He was talking about his many volunteer, activist and leadership roles at RCC and then SOU, and how all he really wanted to do, in the beginning, was to open a lemonade stand to raise a few dollars.  All I really wanted to do was help Stan.

 Now look at me.  Campaign Chairperson.  How did I get here, I wonder?  Along the way I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that agencies are really just people that want to make our little spot in the world a little better, and sometimes it takes quite a spell for that to happen. I’ve watched a wonderful woman create an incredible opportunity for people with cars they no longer want, to give them to people who really, really need them.  I heard an amazing young leader ask for a little help feeding her clients Thanksgiving dinner, and watched volunteers racing each other (literally!) to be the first in line to help. There’s so much more, I could go on and on. 

If you’re wondering what my point is, here goes.  Even though I have volunteered in many other ways, it’s because of United Way that I’ve been able to witness and/or be part of those things I just described.  It’s because of United Way that I can happily recruit new volunteers and know that their lives will be touched in some way.  It’s because of United Way that I know a small group of committed people can, and will, change the community we live in for the better. 

There’s a song I hear on the radio, goes like this “...What about now? What about today? What if you’re making me, all that I was meant to be?”.  Well, that’s how I feel about United Way.  No one’s really making me get out there and share the United Way story, or share my very personal Live United story, but I’ve become much closer to the person I always wanted to be by doing just that.   

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