UNITED: Charity starts at home

I had the privilege of attending the Kootenai County United Way's "Live United" campaign celebration and grant award. What a wonderful way to become more familiar with the truly amazing nonprofits in our community and the extraordinary number of giving and caring people who, through their volunteer efforts and monetary support, provide these community organizations with the resources that allow them to do their very necessary work.

We live in an era of diminishing resources and budget cutbacks, so it is so refreshing to see the effective and efficient work done by Caryl Johnston and the members of the United Way's volunteer Board of Directors. United Way is a local organization that provides each of us with the opportunity to focus our giving on families and seniors within our community. Each of the organizations supported by the United Way's efforts is passionate in the work that they do and on behalf of those they serve. These folks - both those serving and those being served - are our neighbors! We can see the direct impact of the volunteer's heroic efforts each and every day, and we can be part of it, by volunteering some small portion of our time and by giving generously to the United Way's annual campaign. Their goals should be our goals - to improve the lives of the people in our community by providing support for basic human needs, education and health in our community.

Truly charity begins at home, and through supporting the United Way each of us has the opportunity to help maintain the rich spirit of sharing that we have in our community, and to support the truly heroic efforts of the many people in our community who give of their talents and their time to make our many nonprofit volunteer organizations work effectively to help those in our community who need a hand up.

LEN CROSBY

Post Falls