Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy New Year! Happy Holidays! Whatever your holiday greeting, for many, this time of year inspires many with feelings of generosity and warm wishes. For most charitable organizations, 25-50% of contributions are made between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and volunteerism is prevalent this time of year. Surely most of you have seen at least one volunteer bell ringer helping with the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign this season.

I know that most charitable organizations gladly accept, and encourage, donations this time of year, as well as your volunteer hours. But what if we could sustain the season of giving beyond 2014? And manage to keep it in our focus, rather than remembering in November 2015?

We have a tagline at United Way: LIVE UNITED. Hopefully you’ve seen someone sporting a white t-shirt with the simple words printed on the front. If not, give us a call and we can see about getting you one and how else you can get involved.

LIVE UNITED. It’s a credo. A mission. A constant reminder that when we reach out a hand to one, we influence the condition of all. We build the strength of our neighborhoods. We bolster the health of our communities. And we change the lives of those who walk by us every day.

As we count down the days toward 2015, let me offer 10 ways for you to get involved and LIVE UNITED:

1. Tell your friends about United Way and what we do.
2. Get informed. Make it a point to learn about and discuss local issues with friends and family, then decide how you’ll get involved.
3. If you’re passionate about education, income and health issues in our community, make some noise. Write a letter to the editor.
4. Wear the shirt. Contact us to get one.
5. Send an email or make a call to your elected officials.
6. Contact us to schedule a United Way speaker for your workplace or social club. We’ll share examples of how United Way is making a difference in Sheboygan County and how you can help.
7. Tell someone who may need it about the services provided by United Way affiliate agencies. Visit uwofsc.org/programs for a list of funded programs.
8. Link to our website (uwofsc.org) or ‘like’ our page on Facebook (facebook.com/uwofsc).
9. Volunteer. We’re always looking for folks to serve on one of our several committees that guide our work, and our 50+ partner agencies of the volunteer center are always looking for help. Visit uwofsc.org/volunteer for opportunities.
10. Connect. Join a neighborhood association or simply introduce yourself to a neighbor you haven’t met.

Don’t fall back into “the norm” once the holiday season passes. Find a way to get involved and give back, all year long.