Why We LIVE UNITED: Our Internal Campaign

Yes, we got into this field to change the world. Yes, we love helping people. Yes, we are fulfilled by the work we do.

And Yes….we sometimes wonder if it’s better on the other side and wonder why in the world we got into this career.

But not this week. This week is EXACTLY the reason we got involved in this work. This week reminds us why we do what we do every day. This week is Internal Campaign. 

This is a week where United Way staff are highlighted not just as employees but as donors, volunteers, and advocates for our cause. We take a step back from the looming to-do list and take a deeper dive into our work. We learn (and re-learn) about the outstanding initiatives we research and put into action. We laugh over a game of United Way Family Feud that brings us together in healthy competition. We get our hands (and LIVE UNITED) t-shirts dirty by building Literacy Kits for kids in our programs. We bid high and often at our live auction. We dig a little deeper when we click the link and make our pledges. And, perhaps most importantly, we hear from the people we help  and we remember that every email we send, every donor we call, every tweet we tweet, every food pantry shelf we stuff, every meeting we have makes a difference.

The best of this week is not that we’ll raise $100,000 to invest in our community or that we’ll reach 100% giving participation as we always do. The best part is that we take this week and remember that we’re getting parents to our Community Baby Shower to learn what to expect (as they’re expecting). We’re getting kids into programs where they are being read to when someone can’t read to them at home. We’re getting youth positive mentors who get them to that graduation finish line. We’re getting people bank accounts and financial education so they can save for their futures. We’re putting roofs over heads of families that have been living in motels. The awesomeness of this week is that we are changing lives.

This one week gives us the fire, the passion, and the reminder that yes, we got into this field to change the world. Yes, we love helping people. And yes, we are fulfilled by the work we do.

Blog Post by Emily Stanford, Senior Director Corporate Relations, United Way MBMV