Welcome to the year-end edition of our monthly newsletter. We wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the previous 12 months and share what we have achieved together within our local communities, and where we hope to go in the coming months. 

Thanks to our generous supporters, and despite the unforeseen challenges brought by COVID, we were able to do some incredible things. We are proud to share with you our United Way year in review.

The pandemic has fundamentally altered how we identify and address the needs in our community, forcing some encouraging and difficult decisions among the board. This came with retooling and considering the best methods to fill gaps between what people need and what they have available to them. This effort includes:

This is all possible thanks to our volunteers and generous donors. If you or someone you know needs masks or other COVID-related support, please get in touch. 

New Event - Battle of the Beards

Battle of the Beards is a new event that was unveiled this year to provide support toward local cancer initiatives. Despite being a new event for the United Way, we found it to be a great success, and look forward to hosting this challenge next November and beyond. In case you missed it, more information about this event is available on our website and our blog.

We are grateful to our participating Barber Shops, contestants, and those who pledged money during the contest to make it such a promising and entertaining event.

Over the past year we have been working closely with the Village children’s museum in Willmar, MN and positioning the museum under the umbrella of services the United Way offers. Since The Village opened in 2016, it has been a treasured addition to supporting children’s education here in West Central Minnesota. It is our belief that under the United Way, The Village can continue that tradition, as well as expand to reach even more people by housing adult education, training for local daycare providers, and other goals. We are looking forward to the staff and volunteers becoming a part of the United Way. We are so excited to be a part of such a wonderful resource in our community. For more information about The Village, visit the website at www.willmarvillage.com, or contact our office.

When you give support to the United Way, those funds are used in incredible ways, and it is our job to ensure that your investment in our communities has the greatest impact possible. Over the last year, we wanted to share with you some details that show just how valuable your support is. 

These are merely a few highlights of the work your support allows us to achieve. Together, we are creating stronger communities and changing lives right here in our own backyards. Thank you sincerely for what you have allowed us to do, and for your continued support. 

The United Way of West Central Minnesota has continued its tradition of taking your generous funding and providing it to local organizations who are on the front lines of caring for others. Though our grant process may be changing due to the pandemic and other factors, we understand the importance of these funds to other non-profit organizations and those they serve. This year, Local agencies received a total of $134,200 to local agencies to continue providing invaluable services to our communities. We distribute grant funds following an application process and discussion to determine how the funds can best be used. Everything we do falls into one of three categories: education, health, and basic needs. As those needs shift, our grants go to the areas where help is most needed. In this way, your donation dollars do not only support one of our partners, but all of them in the most effective way. The value of your generosity over the past year cannot be overstated. Thank you sincerely for allowing us the opportunity to support these organizations.

The Dine Out for the United Way program is a wonderful opportunity to support our mission simply by going out to your favorite restaurants. When you eat at a participating restaurant and mention the United Way during their event, a portion of the proceeds goes into the programs and initiatives the United Way provides. We have been blown away by the willingness and excitement that so many local establishments have given so far and look forward to more Dine Out events in the new year. If you have a dining establishment and would like to host a Dine Out event, please let us know. If you don’t, please follow us for dates, and consider going out to eat in support of our local communities. Some of the restaurants who supported this campaign in the past year include McMillan’s Family Restaurant, Rosita’s, Domino’s Pizza, Qdoba, Azteca, and the Willmar VFW. 

All year we have been featuring each of our current board members in a blog post, allowing you to get to know us all a little better, and what drives each of us to give our time, talent, and treasure to the United Way. Though our stories, backgrounds, passions, and reasons for being a board member may be different, the United Way is grateful to every one of them and wish to recognize how much they do give of themselves, and the sacrifices they make to serve the most people in the most needed ways. Visit our blog page if you missed one, they give a great deal of insight into what makes the United Way successful, the amount of work it takes to do all we can, and the level of dedication your United Way board has to our area. This coming year, we hope to continue to highlight our board members and staff, but also to tell more stories from volunteers and those who have received support. We are all in this together, and it takes each one of us doing our part. 

Our 2022 Brew-Ha-Ha is back for the sixth year and is just as fun and entertaining as ever. Held at the Barn Theater in Willmar, the event is on February 25 and doors open at 6:30 PM. A social hour will kick off the evening with heavy appetizers and tasty beverages. Craft beer, wine, and cider samples are available as Foxhole Brewhouse, Goat Ridge Brewery, Hinterland Vineyards, and Talking Waters Brewery will be there serving. Following this, comedian John DeBoer, who has been seen on Comedy Central and Last Comic Standing, will give a side-splitting performance as he shares his unique and hilarious thoughts on life. Tickets are only $35 and are available on-line at the United Way website. Also, don’t forget your ticket for the Brew-Ha-Ha raffle with cash prizes totaling $17,500. As much fun as this event is, the real winners are the local kids who are benefitted by the Imagination Library program. For more information, visit our website or contact our office. You won’t want to miss this, and we hope to see you there!

While individual and family needs are always prevalent, it is during times of great struggle that the United Way is needed the most. There have been many unforeseen challenges and losses for local adults and children. Our job has always been to connect those who have with those who need, and in the areas of greatest need so everyone can thrive and live up to their full potential. That is as true now as it has ever been. You have heard the impact your past support has achieved, but there is much work still to do. 

As we enter another year of the pandemic, we are incredibly grateful for the support we have received to help combat it. We continue to see new needs and new challenges for local families and individuals. We also realize that things are changing, not only for our organization but for everyone. Because of this, we are shifting priorities, and seeking out new and better ways to create the most positive change in people’s lives. Just as our work is as important as ever, so is your continued support. Everything we do from providing services to offering grants is only possible through the support of generous benefactors like yourself. 

We hope you will thoughtfully consider continuing your support into the new year and giving a meaningful gift to your community this holiday season and beyond. To donate or to volunteer, please let us know. We will accomplish far more together than we could ever hope to do alone. 

All of us at the United Way would like to wish you and your family a joyous and safe holiday season. We also are hopeful these new challenges we all face are met with any resources needed to overcome them. May the new year prove to be a great one for you, and we wish you nothing but the best in 2022.