Read on to learn why fighting for our community is more important than ever.

United Way of East Central Iowa (UWECI) fights for the education, financial stability, and health of every person in our community. You may have heard this many times before, but what exactly does it mean? Read on for a look into United Way’s work and mission from Kylee Pusteoska, our Senior Manager of Annual Giving and Engagement.

When people ask me what I do, I often pause and try to figure out how to explain all that goes on at UWECI. It gets even cloudier when you consider I ultimately raise money for other people to carry out their mission. Let’s break it down in a way that makes sense. This boils down to funding solutions. Our goal is to be able to solve complex problems and help real people who live in our communities, and one way we do this is through raising funds through workplace campaigns.

If we break down what United Way does even further, we aim to provide a collaborative space for all those who should have a seat at the table. We listen to the needs of our community and create solutions to help them. We use data and reporting to better understand how the dollars we raise to support programs are used, And, we work to create equity for all people who call our five-county service area home. The work we do in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Jones, and Linn counties is so critical to making strong communities, and it is why we remain steadfast in all that we do.

At this moment in time, we need the financial support of those who live and work in East Central Iowa more than ever. There have always been gaps in need, but the global pandemic exposed them in a new light and taught us that so many families need help in both big and small ways. This, combined with the safety precautions our local businesses are taking to keep their employees and customers safe, means that our campaign had to be altered in drastic ways. Without a doubt, this year’s campaign will look different from years past.

So, what’s the bright side in all of this? Being forced outside our comfort zone often leads to growth and beautiful new beginnings. We are excited to launch more virtual ways for people to connect with the great work being done in our community. Our dynamic staff are creating things from virtual tours to prerecorded content from our frontline workers and are coming up with fun ways to volunteer in a safe way to continue bettering communities. The work we do now is more important than ever.

While the way we do things will change, the heart of what we do at United Way has not changed. We love our neighbors, and we hope you will join us to support them, because we are better together when we are united.

Stay tuned for another guest blogger, coming next month!