April 2026
As National Volunteer Month comes to a close, I keep coming back to something I believe deeply: volunteers are the foundation of United Way of Story County and our community. Every milestone we reach and every life we touch is made possible by people who choose to give their most precious resource: their time and talent.
This commitment starts at our very core with our committees and Board of Directors. Before I had the honor of serving as CEO of United Way of Story County, I was a volunteer – serving as a board member and support of events like our annual Food Drive. That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of what it means to be personally invested in our community, and it’s a perspective I carry with me every day. These passionate volunteers provide the strategic vision and thoughtful guidance that help to support our mission of uniting people, ideas, and resources to transform lives in Story County. Their leadership, lived experiences, and dedication to Story County reflect what’s possible when people choose to lead with service.
Their spirit of service overflows into every area of our work. Volunteers make our annual Food Drive possible by collecting and delivering tens of thousand of pounds of donations to local food pantries across our county. Volunteers lead workplace campaigns, sharing the work of our organization and the dozens of local nonprofits we’re entrusted to invest in – building excitement around the local partnerships and outcomes we achieve together. Volunteers oversee our grantmaking and community investment processes, bringing their experience and expertise, ensuring priorities outlined in sound local data like the Story County Community Health Needs Assessment drives our decision-making, and acting as stewards of the funds our neighbors entrust in us each year. Quite simply, volunteers are the backbone of United Way of Story County.
One of the most prominent examples of service is action is our Day of Caring each September. This event is more than just a day of service – it is a critical partnership opportunity between hundreds of Story County community members and our local nonprofit network. When you participate in Day of Caring, you aren’t just painting a fence or sorting supplies; you’re supporting the operations of our mission-based nonprofits who serve thousands of youth, adults, and our Sixty Forward neighbors each year. By sharing the gift of your time, you help to ensure that these organizations can keep their funding and focus exactly where they belong: on the programs and services that change lives. This remarkable annual event has grown year over year, and we’re excited to share new participation opportunities in the coming weeks!
Since launching our Group Volunteering Program last year, we’ve seen how powerful it is when businesses and community groups choose to give back together. Whether you join us at The Hub or we bring a kit-building project to you, these experiences build teamwork and deepen connection to our community. The momentum has been inspiring:
- More than 1,000 meal and snack kits have been prepared and distributed to Story County families in recent months.
- 525 households received help filing taxes through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, bringing over $508,000 back to the community through tax refunds
- 255 children are discovering the joy of reading through literacy kits.
Volunteering is a window into how our collective resources strengthen our collective well-being. To everyone who has ever given the gift of volunteering with UWSC: thank you for being the heart of our mission.
United is the Way.