By Trista Stout-Walker, Vice President of Community Impact

As I reflect on a new year, I think about a picture of my children playing at a park. My older child is gleefully sliding head first down the slide, with not a care in the world. My younger child has stumbled and face planted traveling up the turf back to the top of the slide. There was a safer way to get back to the top, but she was following my lead and taking a quicker, strenuous path. It did not work out for her, and she required my assistance. 

This photograph represents the varying situations of our community. We have those that are financially secure, happy, and healthy ready to face 2023. Some of our neighbors are trying their best to navigate the daily struggles and obstacles and sometimes they fall short. Moreover, you have agencies and staff that respond every day to fill in the gaps to make our community whole. At United Way of Southwest Alabama (UWSWA), it takes all individuals to ensure the community’s safety net is intact. We need financial support, large or small, it all adds up. This support allows UWSWA and our partners to offer impact to over 211,000 individuals. We need our 45 partner agencies and 11 internal programs to offer the resources. Lastly, we need the brave community member to ask for help. This is a daily cycle at UWSWA and we will continue our work. All are welcome to join the fight, visit www.uwswa.org to learn how you can give, advocate, and volunteer. I am hopeful that you choose to #LIVEUNITED in 2023 to make a community a healthier place to live.