United Way of Utah County: Connections are crucial to communities
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- A volunteer reads stories to kids.
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- A volunteer helps a community member prepare their taxes.
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- A volunteer helps kids at a summer camp at the United Way Community Center at South Franklin.
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- A volunteer helps deliver groceries to someone in need.
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- Bill Hulterstrom is president and CEO of United Way of Utah County.
I don’t know about you, but to me, whenever the fall leaves start changing and the school buses start up their rounds, it feels like a new beginning. Maybe it’s the excitement in the air for a new school year. Maybe it’s the holiday season right around the corner. Maybe it’s just seeing more of my neighbors out and about, enjoying the cooler weather. Whatever it is about this season, I always feel more connected to my community at this time of year.
Connection is such a crucial part of our lives. It’s the foundation of all relationships, from family members and close friends to the clerk at the local grocery store. In many ways, connection with others shapes our lives and gives meaning to our days.
Many studies have shown that connection with others doesn’t just feel good; it has clear benefits for our health and happiness. But over the past few years, we’ve seen a worrisome decline in the number of people who feel connected to others or to their community. People are feeling more isolated, and that’s not something that helps us be healthier or happier.
Here at United Way of Utah County, everything we do is built around connection. All of our programs are designed to strengthen the bonds between people, whether those bonds are in the home between parents and children, or in the community at large between volunteers and those they serve.
There are so many wonderful ways to get involved that will help make new connections. Our South Franklin Community Center, for example, provides many different resources for local families. The programs there include music lessons, technology training classes and community events — all run by volunteers. This center offers a safe and welcoming space for community members to connect with each other and build better relationships together.
Other programs provide the opportunity to connect on a more personal level. The Welcome Baby program, for example, offers new parents the opportunity to visit with trained volunteers who can help them navigate the life-changing experience of having a new baby in the home. At a time that can feel overwhelming, these volunteers offer help and hope to parents.
No matter how volunteers choose to get involved, each of these connections strengthens our community and helps us become happier.
Even if you don’t have time to commit to a long-term volunteer experience, there are so many ways to increase our connections with others, in ways both big and small. I’m always inspired to see neighbors taking some extra time to rake the lawn or shovel the sidewalk for an elderly friend, or take cookies around to cheer up someone who doesn’t get a lot of visitors. To all those grandparents who take time to read with their grandchildren, to all those friends who give a listening ear to someone who needs it, and to all those who share their abundance with someone who needs a helping hand — thank you.
At this harvest season, as we celebrate abundance and new beginnings, I encourage each of us to think of ways that we can increase the connections in our lives. Let’s each find a way to share the gifts we’ve been given, whether those are gifts of time, of talents or even of financial donations. There’s no better time to start.
For more information about how to get involved in your community, please visit unitedwayuc.org.
