Column: Take the Step from Why to We for the LOU Community

By Kurt Brummett

Executive Director United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

We have all likely heard this famous Neil Armstrong quote at some point in our lives. However, its truth can be applied well beyond taking man’s first step on the moon as seemingly small steps produce giant leaps on an enduring basis. For example, something as simple as making a donation, volunteering your time, or sharing a post helps us take a giant leap as a community.

Every day, the United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County (UWOLC) strives to help people take the small step from “why” to “we” in order to produce giant leaps through the investment of their time, talents, and resources into our community as a member of our local United Way team. By continually adding to our team of donors, partners, volunteers, and advocates, our organization seeks to enhance the giant leaps that already result from the generous support we receive. It is our hope that supplying the “why” will cause everyone who hears our message to become a part of the “we” who works hand in hand for the betterment of the Lafayette-Oxford-University (LOU) community.

In the midst of the holiday season, it is important to know there are many in Lafayette County who are in need even though we might not witness it firsthand. There are children struggling to read who would greatly benefit from tutoring, enrichment, and literacy programming. There are abuse victims of all ages and backgrounds in need of advocacy as well as counseling services, including minors who have been removed from their homes for their own safety and well-being. There are elderly residents in need of meals and families in need of assistance following a traumatic event or difficult circumstances. There are youth seeking a sense of belonging and intellectually disabled residents simply wanting an opportunity to participate.

The referenced needs represent only a handful of the substantial issues many in our community face on a daily basis. However, each need and issue illustrates the importance of coming together to assist our neighbors just as others have helped us over the course of our lives. We are all a product of those who have affected our lives and we can all be a part of positively impacting the LOU community. As we all know, it often only takes a little to make a lot of difference and we have the opportunity to make that impact together.

The small step from “why” to “we” does not take much to accomplish and I hope everyone who is not currently a member of our local United Way team will take that step with me. Whether the step involves donating to our organization, volunteering on one of our advisory committees, or sharing one of our posts on social media, the key is to invest in our community as doing so will yield incredible returns. No contribution is too small to make a significant impact and every dollar makes a difference as we partner to help Oxford, Abbeville, Taylor, and Lafayette County prosper.

Let us all take the small step from “why” to “we” and produce giant leaps for the LOU community.