By George Williamson, Executive Director, United Way of St. Charles

DEAR EDITOR: On behalf of our United Way organization, I want to extend a special thanks to all of the people in our community.

This has been the most challenging but yet rewarding United Way campaign that I have been involved in. When I think back to the campaign kickoff, the challenges that faced us seemed almost insurmountable. The economy was slowing, layoffs were occurring and then on Sept. 11, the shock of unspeakable violence overwhelmed us all. It was a story of unimaginable proportions, but it was also a story of extremes. A story of horror also became a story of generosity, resilience and the strength of the human spirit.

As we celebrated the end of our Campaign 2001-02, I think that what we have witnessed, and continue to witness, is exactly the true meaning of community. The programs United Way supports, the volunteers we mobilized, the campaign we ran, are all about increasing the community’s capacity to care and its ability to offer comfort and compassion to those who need it.

$1.4 million is no small sum for a group our size. This $1.4 million represents food, clothing, medical assistance, daycare for the elderly, and a variety of other services for those in need.

Those people receiving the benefits of this generosity will never learn the names of their benefactors and will miss the opportunity to say thank you. So, I would like to speak on their behalf and extend their gratitude to each and every one of you in our community who supported this effort.

I can’t tell you how proud I am to be a member of such a group as this. You are a very special group of individuals – people who care deeply about this community and who are willing to work hard to do something about that concern.