I remember the week that my rose-colored glasses were removed and I saw a whole new view of Harrison County, West Virginia.

Traveling with my fellow United Way loaned executives, I saw people and places which I never knew existed. I think the “aha moment” was the meeting of an elderly man who lived alone in a humble Adamston apartment. He sat on the corner of his bed, watching the news on a 13-inch black and white TV. He had the barest of necessities, but went on and on about how fortunate he was. An employee of a United Way agency was visited him regularly, bringing groceries and checking on him. He considered himself the luckiest person in the world. It really made me think.

 

Also memorable were the proud workers of the Sheltered Workshop. Until one particular day, I had only known the place as the manufacturer of T-shirts for church camps and other events. But once inside the doors of that Stonewood facility, I saw that this was a local little factory of pride; its workers all physically and mentally disabled citizens who loved going to work and were proud of their trades – from screen printing T-shirts and weaving rugs to mopping up the floors.

 

Then there were those nooks and crannies in West Milford; places we loaned execs visited with Sister “Barbara” Fidler, founder of the Susan Dew Hoff Memorial Clinic. I don’t know which was more impressionable: her feistiness and tireless efforts or the desperate medical and dental needs which she discovered and took care of by coordinating efforts of other medical and office professionals. But it wasn’t just about replacing a set of teeth or getting needed meds for these under-/non-insured individuals. Sister Barbara and her colleagues took these folks under their wings; checking on them on a regular basis and helping them in other areas of their lives.

I could go on and on about passionate CASA volunteers who made it their life’s goal to make sure innocent children in the court system were represented in their best interests or the gals at HOPE, Inc. Task Force on Domestic Violence, who made themselves available day and night for those fleeing critical domestic situations.

 

Bottom line: Your United Way of Harrison County, Inc. is a good thing. The organization provides funding for all those agencies mentioned above – and many more.  And to make all that happen, lots of other volunteers have to raise lots and lots of dollars.

 

After being essentially uninvolved in United Way for more than a decade, I’ve been asked to serve on this year’s Campaign Cabinet, heading up the communities division – seeking out businesses and organizations to engineer some positive changes in their communities.

 

I think of “The Little Engine That Could” – how optimism and hard work is mostly about drive, not obvious potential. Let’s keep chugging along. We’ll take in some surprising, inspiring scenes along the way. And thanks to a united effort, the lives of many will look up. 

 

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