As the newest Director of Community Development at the United Way of Sheboygan County, I invite you to meet me at the United Way. Why? Because what happens at the United Way or because of the United Way, or with the United Way should matter to you. The United Way touches the lives of everyone in the community.

I’m fortunate to be joining a team of talented professionals who take a leadership role for community needs by raising much-needed funds and making strategic investment decisions based on focus areas of education, income and health.

As a non-profit professional, I’ve invested my career in advocating for needs in the community that often get overlooked. I’ve worked with homelessness, domestic violence, poverty across the age spectrum, mental health, hunger and more. My positions have all been fundraising and marketing related. I enjoy sharing with people that they have an opportunity to invest in the fight against these tragic problems, invest in the people that experience them, invest in the wellness of their community.

I also will be leading the Volunteer Center, which fits right in because these issues need more than just investments of financial resources, they require investments of time and talent. I’ll be here, giving the Sheboygan community the opportunity to do both.

This week at the first Spirit of Sheboygan Volunteer awards, we announced that volunteers in Sheboygan County had contributed more than $10 million dollars in volunteer hours in 2015. That investment goes a long way in addressing community needs. Were you a part of that investment? We recognized volunteers for a variety of causes from baseball to singing, and from painting to mentoring. We recognized volunteers who have persevered despite health challenges, in order to make a meaningful contribution. Everyone, no matter their capacity, has the ability to give.

Meet me at the United Way. I’ll open the door to your opportunity to make a difference.