ALMetro360

34 AL/ Metro 360 www.almetro360.com years ago, United Way was a “payroll” event to me – a simple deduction on my paycheck. But for years now, I have served on several United Way committees, leading a few of them. I’ve been a “deliverer” and “collector” of UnitedWay Campaign materials. And I’ve attended more United Way kickoffs, wrap- ups and meetings than I could begin to count. Yes, at one time, I was “just a donor,” but it wasn’t long before I was “living United Way” and learning about the 40+ agencies it supports -- and even finding myself volun- teering with several of those agencies. In the beginning, I took great pride in being a donor and was so happy that United Way allowed me to designate which agency I wanted to receive my donation. I played a part in determining where my dollars should be spent. But after a few years of serving as a United Way volunteer, I learned something so much more important about those dona- tions and the volunteers that work to allo- cate those dollars. W HAT DID I LEARN ? As a long-time volunteer, I saw that the River Region United Way was able to make such a significant impact in our community because of more than 150 volunteers serving on its Board of Directors and three divisions – Community Impact Council, Campaign and Allocations Committee. These commu- nity volunteers work together to assess com- munity needs throughout the River Region. They acquire the resources and donations necessary to allocate funds for agency pro- grams that best meet those needs. And they account for every dollar raised, ensuring that funds are used efficiently and effectively. For the past eight years, it has been a priv- ilege to serve on both the Community Im- pact Council and the Allocations Committee. I have seen first-hand how much effort goes into these two volunteer teams. I have learned that while it is nice that United Way gives me the option to designate my donation to the affiliate agencies of my choosing, it is more important to me now to “trust the process.” UnitedWay’s teams of trained volunteers work incredibly hard to identify the unmet needs in our communities, and then to determine which agency programs have the most efficient, forward-thinking ways of addressing those needs. I am more certain than ever that my donations to United Way are spent supporting our community in ways that are the most needed and have the greatest impact. W HAT WILL MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN INHERIT ? It might not be a massive amount of money. But what I hope they inherit from me and my wonderful husband, Ron, is a love for helping others. It’s about obeying God’s word and taking care of those who are in need. My family has been blessed beyond measure, and I want to make certain my husband and I set an ex- ample of gratefulness for our children and grandchildren to follow. I want them to know that we should make a difference because, collectively, we do. And I want them to always remember, God has no hands but ours. Giving is where it all starts, and United Way is where it started for me. As River Region United Way commemorates its 95th Anniversary, ALMetro360 is featuring a different “Changemaker.” Our Change- maker for the Holiday issue is Donna Cooper, Senior Vice President at BBVA Compass, who currently serves on the RRUW Board of Directors as Chair of the Community Impact Council. She also serves on the Alloca- tions Committee. Donna recently welcomed her second grandson into the world and is expecting her first granddaughter in April. n “G OD HAS NO HANDS BUT OURS . G IVING IS WHERE IT ALL STARTS , AND U NITED W AY IS WHERE IT STARTED FOR ME .” Donna and Ron with their first grandchild.