United Way: Why I give

November 13, 2015  


The Purdue United Way Campaign began in September, offering another occasion for faculty and staff to demonstrate their commitment to bettering the community. As the Purdue campaign closes in on its Nov. 19 deadline, Purdue Today is sharing more responses from the Purdue community on why they give to the United Way.

Former Purdue President Martin Jishcke

I am a firm believer in community service, whether it is giving of my time, resources or both. As such, I am happy to give to United Way of Greater Lafayette. Our United Way agencies are doing the important work of improving the well-being of area families by providing programs that focus on health, food security and financial stability, which in turn contribute directly to creating the strong foundation required for our children to succeed in school.

Other programs, such as Read to Succeed, build on this foundation by pairing area schoolchildren with community volunteers to improve reading skills. Having spent more than 47 years as an educator, I strongly believe the success of our community lies in our ability to provide our children with a quality education, and United Way agencies and programs go a long way toward ensuring our success.

Leah Jamieson, the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering

I give to United Way because it epitomizes community: the agencies, programs and people who work in countless ways to make this a better place to live, and the individuals, companies and organizations that make their own commitment to support the community through United Way. It represents optimism: coming together, caring, helping, succeeding -- and an underlying deep belief that, together, we can build a stronger community. I'm proud to be part of a community in which United Way plays a significant role.

Morgan Burke, director of intercollegiate athletics

As we enter this fall season and approach Thanksgiving, we all have an opportunity to step back and count our blessings. I have had the opportunity to lead and work with United Way leadership and volunteers in two communities, and this community -- our community -- has a great history and tradition of embracing the United Way. Year after year, whether we have a good economy or not, this community has delivered. In addition to the safety net agencies, the current focus on helping young people succeed in school through programs such as Read to Succeed is showing that a planned intervention not only can work but is a game changer. 

As the United Way Campaign wraps up, let's all remember that what each of us in our own way and within our own means can do individually pales in comparison to what all of us can do together. Please make Thanksgiving a bit more special by getting on board and proving once again that our community is a compassionate and caring one. What a great place this is to live and work.  

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