Thank You for Your Service

You see a lot written these days, bemoaning the fact that our traditional manufacturing-based economy has been replaced by a service economy. In simple language, that means that at one time, our economy was dependent upon manufacturing or making things, and much of that has moved overseas, to be replaced in this country by an economy that is now dependent upon people providing services for other people. All kinds of services. For pay.

In the non-profit world, when we talk about service, we are usually talking about the volunteer efforts of the busiest people in a community, who feel compelled by an inner voice to give their time freely to one or more organizations committed to doing good works in the community.   These people serve in all kinds of ways - as volunteer workers, board members, executive coaches, informal advisors. For free. Some brave ones even volunteer to help us make critical funding decisions through the work they do on our Action and Impact Councils.

We all benefit every day from the time and talents these generous souls give. We thank them sincerely from the bottom of our hearts for helping our organizations - and the community - become stronger.

And sometimes, we recognize their efforts publicly.

We are proud of the service that Mitchell Willis has provided to Miami University and the Nonprofit Board Leadership Program and his work with the West Chester/Liberty Chamber Alliance Leadership 21 Program which led to his recognition a few weeks ago as Citizen of the Year for Outstanding Community Involvement.

We are thankful for the volunteer service of hundreds of our friends and neighbors, whose efforts benefit not only the Butler County United Way, but also our partner agencies and our community, helping to make it the kind of place we all know it as - a great place to call home.

We will publicly recognize some of our volunteers at a breakfast preceding our Annual Day of Caring-Spring 2013 on Friday, April 26. Please join us for a 7:30 breakfast that morning at the Fairfield Community Arts Center, 411 Wessel Drive in Fairfield, and help us thank our friends during National Volunteer Week, April 21 - 27. Then, as breakfast concludes, we will send hundreds of volunteers out to perform various kinds of work for the agencies we partner with for the greater good throughout Butler County.

Please make a reservation by calling the office at 863-0800, or by visiting our website at:

www.bc-unitedway.org.  

If you are unable to join us - and you volunteer anywhere in our community, Thank You!  

Bruce