The Power of "Extra"
When you work for a nonprofit that supports crucial community services and programs, you enjoy the daily satisfaction of knowing your passion changes lives. As one of our city’s leading nonprofits, United Way of Greater Kansas City changes lives throughout the year—but there’s a special opportunity coming up next week to go beyond our usual efforts.
For the second consecutive year, United Way of Greater Kansas City is partnering with Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Company for #LoadsOfLoveKC, a Giving Tuesday event. This time around, Faultless Healthcare Linen is also joining the effort. The two companies will match 50 cents for every dollar donated. You can learn more about the event on United Way of Greater Kansas City's Facebook page.
Last year, our donor base raised $5,000 in just 24 hours. Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Company stepped up in incredible fashion with a generous match, raising the total amount raised to $10,000. Think about that. In just 24 hours, our donors and a wonderfully generous local company changed lives by removing an obstacle to school attendance.
Inspiring impact
Throughout our community, students miss class on a daily basis for a very basic and unfortunate reason: they don’t have access to clean clothes or uniforms. Following the installation of the washer/dryer at Banneker Elementary, attendance increased from 74 percent to 82 percent, and a classroom of autistic students used the facilities to learn invaluable life skills.
I don’t know about you, but when an opportunity like this arises, I get a jolt of excitement. United Way of Greater Kansas City's team jumped into action last year, and that’s when amazing happened. And, it will happen again in 2017.
That’s the power of “extra.”
Every one of us who cares about the health and well-being of our community has so many options to make a difference every day. We live our lives treating people well, helping our neighbors when we can, and just trying to make our city a great place to live.
For many people, there are occasional opportunities to step beyond that usual routine. This is that opportunity.
Between now and next Tuesday, I hope you will visit the Facebook event page or the giving page. I hope you will talk with your circles—coworkers, classmates, friends and family—about the importance of such an effort. Giving Tuesday in general, and Loads of Love specifically, are movements based around a lot of people giving just a little.
A week from now, we can grow that movement and make a difference for kids throughout our local schools.
Watch this video to learn more, join the Facebook event page, or visit the giving page here. Or if you’ve heard enough and you’re ready to give, you can do so today by texting ‘LOVEKC’ to 41-444.
I can’t wait to see the “extra” good we’re able to achieve together.