I think the United Way doesnt get the recognition it deserves for the things they do in the community because people dont know its them. They fund specific programs like homeless shelters and food pantries that other organizations like New Opportunities or FISH manage. Its an amazing team effort on all parts. People dont want to give to the United Way though because they would rather give to a specific charity. The problem is though that other charities couldnt do what they do without the United Way. They need the extra man power to get fundraising done and its hard to do that when youre the hands-on part of the process. They raise the money and handle the paperwork then hand it over to charities to use, and the United Way can decide what the community needs the most, or the community decides, and then the charity acts accordingly. Its all about getting the community involved and supporting each other which I really love. I wish I had known about the United Way sooner so I could have been donating all this time.