32 years ago – my family shared the joys of bringing a new baby into this world. We discovered that our daughter Gretchen had Down Syndrome. At that point, there weren’t a lot of resources and organized support groups for this kind of thing. We didn't know where to go, we turned to a United Way funded agency, ARC. We cannot thank them enough for what they did for our family, they connected us to doctors, schools and resources we needed to accommodate Gretchen’s needs. We learned to not give up and to challenge her abilities and strive for a level of independence.

After Gretchen’s schooling, she was placed in her first job with the aid of another United Way agency, RISE, Inc. – and has been working for the past 12 years. Due to the economy, her position was eliminated two weeks ago. I am worried about Gretchen - how does she fit into the stream of the job market? She is in good spirits but I don’t think she realizes how difficult it might be to find a job now.

Greater Twin Cities United Way has a goal of helping an additional 15,000 seniors and people with disabilities maximize their independence by 2010 through their Agenda for Lasting Change - 10 measurable goals to create pathways out of poverty.

I raise funds for United Way because they are one of the few agencies that can address many critical issues and coordinate solutions for the entire community. My family has utilized services from various United Way agencies in the past 32 years, for which I am grateful. My family may not need United Way as much these days, but there are so many families with limited resources. United Way helped be the hands that lifted our family during our time in need. I want to do that for other families as long as I can.

To learn more, go to www.unitedwaytwincities.org.