WS Chronicle

Antonia Monk Richburg, PhD

President and CEO, United Way of Forsyth County

As this year draws to a close, many of us are reflecting on what we have gained, what we have endured, and what we hope for in the year ahead. But for thousands of our neighbors, there is no pause for reflection. There is only survival.

Families in our community are choosing between paying rent and buying groceries. Parents are lying awake at night, worried not about gifts under a tree, but about whether the lights will stay on and whether their children will have what they need to succeed in school. Children are falling behind academically, not because they lack ability, but because they lack access to books, tutoring, and the educational resources that open doors. Uninsured individuals are delaying primary care, hoping a manageable illness does not become a life-altering emergency. Those living with mental health challenges or facing a short-term crisis are searching for counseling and support, often in silence, often at a breaking point.

These are not distant stories.

These are our neighbors.

These are our children.

These are our people.

United Way exists so that no one in our community has to face these challenges alone. We ensure basic needs are met. We help children access the educational resources they need to thrive. We expand access to primary care for the uninsured. We connect individuals and families to counseling services when mental health challenges or crisis threaten their stability. We bring partners together and fill gaps where systems fall short, because meeting one need is not enough when lives are interconnected.

But as the calendar year comes to an end, the truth is clear. The needs in our community are growing, and the resources to meet them are not keeping pace.

Before the clock strikes midnight this year, we ask you to make a choice that will echo far beyond December 31. Choose to stand with families who are struggling. Choose to believe that every child deserves a fair start, every neighbor deserves care, and every life has value. Choose to give, not because it is easy, but because it is necessary.

Years from now, no one will remember what was spent or saved this December. But someone will remember that they were fed. A child will remember that someone believed in their future. A family will remember the moment they did not fall apart because help arrived in time. That help can be you. That help is United Way.

When you give now, you are not just ending the year with generosity. You are carrying hope forward into the next year and into the lives of those who need it most. United is the way.

And when our community shows up together, hope does not just survive. It wins.

With gratitude and urgency,

Antonia Monk Richburg, PhD

President and CEO

United Way of Forsyth County