WHERE PARTNERSHIP MEETS PURPOSE

Two years ago, I wrote about the purpose I found through my work at United Way of Southeastern Idaho. Since then, that sense of purpose has only deepened. (Click Here to view Previous Article)

I grew up in southeastern Idaho and have raised my family here. This region shaped who I am. The people here value hard work, resilience, and looking out for one another. Those values are woven into our communities in ways both big and small, and they are part of what led me toward a career centered on service.

When I joined United Way of Southeastern Idaho nine years ago, I knew I would be helping support the communities I love. What I didn’t expect was how profoundly moving it would be to witness the quiet generosity that exists here every single day.

Recently, United Way of Southeastern Idaho awarded $287,000 in grants to 25 local programs serving our ALICE neighbors throughout the region. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are households made up of people who are working, often juggling multiple jobs, yet still struggling to afford the basics such as housing, childcare, food, transportation, and healthcare.

ALICE is our why.

These families are doing everything they can to stay afloat. They are the people serving meals in restaurants, caring for children, helping customers, stocking shelves, responding to emergencies, and keeping our communities running. Many are one unexpected expense away from falling behind. Supporting them is not simply part of our work; it is the reason we do this work.

Every year, I have the privilege of overseeing our community investment process, and every year I leave it feeling humbled. I see donors give generously because they believe in their neighbors. I see volunteers devote hours reviewing applications and visiting programs because they care deeply about making thoughtful investments in our communities. I see nonprofit organizations stretching limited resources as far as possible to ensure that families have support, dignity, and hope during difficult times.

What stays with me most is the compassion behind all of it.

So much of this work happens quietly. There are no headlines when a parent receives help with childcare so they can keep working. No spotlight when a family gets access to counseling, healthcare, safe housing, or a hot meal during a difficult season. But those moments matter. They change the course of someone’s life, and collectively, they strengthen our entire community.

United Way was founded on the belief that lasting change happens when people come together around a shared purpose. More than a century later, I still see that spirit alive in southeastern Idaho. I see it in our donors, our volunteers, our nonprofit partners, and the people who step forward every day to help someone else carry a burden.

That is what makes this place special.

I feel incredibly fortunate to do this work in the community that raised me. At a time when so much in the world can feel divided or uncertain, I am reminded daily that there is still tremendous good in people. I get to witness it firsthand in southeastern Idaho, and it gives me hope for the future of the communities we call home.

Molly Whitworth is the COO of United Way of Southeastern Idaho and has been a member of the United Way staff for the last nine years. Molly oversees the organization’s community investment process and works alongside local nonprofits, volunteers, and community partners to support programs serving southeastern Idaho.