Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud. Helen Dyer

Imagine, for a moment, how many people you think you have influenced in your life. Sociologists estimate the average person will influence up to 80,000 people throughout the course of their lifetime. It is incredible to imagine how many people we knowingly and unknowingly influence.

Volunteering is how we can be intentional about our impact and maximize our ability to positively influence the lives of those around us.

Volunteers are the activators of our community. As they become more involved and give their time, their influence and impact multiply quickly. United Way of Cass-Clay’s purpose is to bring people together to create the change that makes our community stronger. Last year, even with the challenges of the pandemic, United Way engaged over 2,000 volunteers. With their leadership and effort, volunteers packed and distributed over 6,000 backpacks full of school supplies for local students in need, delivered hundreds of food boxes to senior citizens, gathered hundreds of items for Home for Good baskets to help over 125 families transitioning out of homelessness, and created hundreds of literacy kits to assist in teaching local children the joy of reading. These are just a few of the ways these volunteers helped lift local families out of poverty.

It is an honor to be able to highlight the impact that these 21 incredible women are making in 2021, not only as individuals but also collectively, as they partner with our United Way to serve our community. Each leader is making a difference by engaging her specific talent in a unique and important way to find innovative solutions to community challenges, to rally others in inspiring ways and to use her voice to advocate for those in need.

The intent in having these remarkable leaders share their “WHY” is not only to share our gratitude for these women and their dedication to serving others, but also to encourage others across our community to reach out to us if they are inspired to get involved and give back. Volunteering is a powerful way to deepen your connection with your coworkers, friends and neighbors, and a valuable way to gain new skills that will help you grow in your career and create a lasting connection to this community. I hope you will learn more about the ways you can get involved at unitedwaycassclay.org.

Check out the following links to get to know the other 21 women better.