Shanna serves the community as the retail donation manager at Easter Seals-Goodwill, a key partner of United Way’s Children’s Book Drive, which is a statewide book drive each spring that allows community members to recycle gently-used children’s books and get them into the hands of children who need them. Shanna is a big fan of collaboration for the greater good.

“Anytime there is an opportunity to create a greater impact together I’m for it,” she says. “This is why I feel the partnership between Easter Seals-Goodwill and United Way’s Children’s Book Drive is so powerful.”

Looking to earn his Eagle Scout honor, Justin wanted to find a project that could help the community.

With encouragement from his mother, Kris, Justin reached out to United Way of Treasure Valley to help him take on an ambitious goal: Assemble 750-1,000 hygiene kits for local homeless youth.

Laura embraces the notion that we really are stronger when we work together.

“United Way brings organizations together to work for the greater good,” Laura said. “We are greater together than we are separately.”

As a part of Easter-Seals Goodwill, Laura has been involved with United Way for nearly a decade. She loves how United Way leads collaborative efforts to solve some of the Treasure Valley’s toughest challenges, like homelessness and drug abuse.

As a former teacher and current YMCA employee, Scott understands the possibilities of United Way’s partnerships. Scott first became involved with United Way as a math teacher in 1997. That involvement grew in 2005 when he joined the Treasure Valley YMCA, a key partner of United Way.

Lindsey cares about the community, and wants to make a difference. So she got involved with United Way. Now part of the United Way NEXT Emerging Leaders executive team, Lindsey is a passionate United Way advocate.

“I love that United Way acts as a nonprofit umbrella,” she says. “They research what the needs are in the community, and then help is extended to not only one, but multiple organizations.”

As the director of state advocacy for Trinity Health and Saint Alphonsus Health System, Corey is dedicated to improving the lives of Idahoans. This has led to a natural partnership with United Way of Treasure Valley.

In the third grade, Ericka made a cooking apron in 4H. The apron was eventually stowed away, collecting dust for years, before it came back to Ericka’s life in a meaningful way during her senior year in college.

Denny says he’s been extremely fortunate in life – a great career, loving family, good health.  Each day, on his way to work, he would drive past a local homeless shelter, observing mostly men, many his own age, milling around waiting for breakfast. Questions began to haunt Denny.

“Why are those people there, standing in line, and I am here, having such a good life?  Why am I so fortunate?”

As the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Nampa, Brad sees firsthand how donations to United Way’s Community Fund go to work.

“The United Way Community Fund allows the Boys & Girls Club of Nampa to provide after-school homework help to more than 400 youth each year,” Brad said. “The youth that participate in our ‘Power Hour’ are more likely to graduate on time and go on to college than their peers.”

Connie manages donor services at United Way of Treasure Valley. She’s been a part of United Way for nearly 20 years, working at a local United Way in Kansas before moving to Idaho.

She’s been donating to the United Way Community Fund for 31 years.