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United Way of Southwest Alabama / President's Desk  / Your World Can Change in an Instant

Your World Can Change in an Instant

“We are all only one disaster away from being a donor to becoming a client.”  I heard this phrase at every campaign rally and meeting I attended with the 2019 campaign chair, J. Guy Helmsing, during the United Way of Southwest Alabama’s 2019 Community Campaign.  Unfortunately, how true those words ring now.

In the past, I always told people, “You never know what is going to happen. Your world can change in an instant.”  I know this first hand, having lost my husband 9 years ago, and just six weeks ago, I was diagnosed with stage 3 head and neck cancer.

I entered UAB for surgery on March 6 and left the hospital a week later. The world literally changed in that week. It will never be the same.

Yes, we will eventually end social distancing, but the world has changed.  We have over 10 million Americans that have filed for unemployment.  They have gone from tax payers and donors to nonprofits to recipients of government and nonprofit services.

The United Way of Southwest Alabama, in concert with our 46 partner agencies in Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile and Washington Counties, serves as the community’s safety net. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our neighbors, friends, and family members needed assistance on a regular basis. UWSWA and our partner agencies provide services to over 250,000 individuals each year – and we do not meet the needs of everyone who needs assistance.

Now, we have added thousands of more people who will need assistance until this pandemic clears.

If you are fortunate enough to have retained your job, please consider making a donation today to assist UWSWA and our partner agencies in maintaining our community’s safety net in these volatile and uncertain times. Donations can be made to United Way of Southwest Alabama and designated to Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile, or Washington Counties.  

For Choctaw County

For Clarke County

For Mobile County

For Washington County

I assure you that our partners will serve as good stewards of your donation.

In times of crisis, South Alabamians respond with selflessness and generosity.  Today, we need your selflessness and generosity.

Please stay safe and thank you for your support.