In our 47-year history of service to Southwest Colorado, we have found that when people join together for the common good things change for the better.
Independently operated
501(c)3 non-profit organization
serving La Plata, San Juan, Montezuma, Dolores & Archuleta Counties
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Have you ever heard the expression, “Experience is a hard teacher, because she gives the test first and the lessons afterward,” (from Vernon Law)? I keep thinking about all we are learning as it relates to the current pandemic. You may be interested to know that a group of local responders (including our United Way) was scheduled to participate in a table top exercise in April to test our ability to respond to a disaster. The exercise was canceled due to Covid-19, but interestingly, the topic of the exercise that was scheduled many months ago was responding to a pandemic.
Well, obviously we never got that chance to practice because we are living the real experience. Now it is important to look critically at our actions to learn and improve. That takes honest dialogue, which can be tough to come by these days. We now know many of the pain points: lack of PPE, lack of testing, shortage of basic supplies, economic impact of social distancing, and many more. We can debate the government response at all levels and individual philosophies all day, but what would be more useful is taking what we now know to prepare for a possible second wave or even a new pandemic.
Our local nonprofits have started this conversation and will continue to adapt and plan to help our communities through the current crisis and the next one and the next one. The new networks that have been built to better support food, housing, and mental health are likely to remain in place, at least for a while. The enhanced communication and cooperation will help with recovery. Your support helps nonprofits to continue on with this important work in a time when their budgets are challenged, just like most other businesses. We recently raised over $50,000 in a short campaign to help support them thanks to help from many like you. The support will need to continue and we encourage you to consider signing up for a monthly gift of any size to help sustain these efforts over the long haul. Thanks for all that you do and thank you for Living United with us to plan for the future by learning from the past.
"I enjoy volunteering and making financial contributions to United Way of Southwest Colorado because of the wide range of people and causes that benefit from the support. Whether you support health initiatives, childhood education or individual financial stability, there are a number of great causes supported by our United Way."
Quick and Easy Ways to Stay Active
Staying active and keeping a healthy lifestyle right now doesn’t need to be difficult.
It all starts by shaking up your routine. Start small by changing one habit in your daily routine. It’s easier than you might think!
Here are a few ideas:
Climb stairs in your house, building or somewhere nearby
Ride your bike
Take a walk
Go for a run
Watch TV standing up
Have an at-home dance party
There are so many approaches to staying active and so many benefits for doing it. Find the right one for you and commit to doing it once a day for three weeks.
Together we can stay active and healthy as a community. Together we are United for a healthier you.
SERVING ALL COLORADO COMMUNITIES
Service provided in part by
United Way of Southwest Colorado
Get Connected. Get Help.
We know it can often times be difficult and overwhelming to know where to go for help.
2-1-1 Colorado streamlines services and provides one central location where people can get connected to the resources they need. With a database that is updated daily, 2-1-1 Colorado can connect you to critical resources simply by dialing a three-digit number.
Whether you are searching for shelter availability, childcare, or rent payment assistance – 2-1-1 can connect you to available resources in your community.
