We’ll never forget the emotional time we spent in the hospital after our first son, Call, was born in 2012. He was born eight weeks prematurely and spent two weeks in the hospital.
We were fortunate though — we had steady jobs, good insurance and the ability to take time off to be with him until he was able to come home. We felt such empathy for other families who couldn’t take even a single day of without risking their jobs or who faced mounting debt just to keep their baby alive.
This is one of the many reasons we support United Way. They’re leading the charge to make sure kids like Call get the right start, and they’re fighting every day to make life better for everyone in Southeastern Michigan.
We first became involved with United Way in 2012, shortly after Call’s birth, to help launch the Emerging Philanthropists initiative, which brings together young professionals dedicated to the future of our community to give, advocate and volunteer. Five years later, we’re more involved — and committed — than ever.
In 2016, we chose to make a Planned Gift with a life insurance plan to ensure that United Way is around to take on whatever future challenges face our community. The premiums we pay on our life insurance gift are tax deductible, and United Way will ultimately receive 10 times our investment. It’s a great way to make a significant impact and reinforce our long-term commitment to the United Way mission.
United Way is making a big impact. They’re raising nutrition standards and providing more than a million healthy meals to kids each summer. They’re teaching kids and parents, creating so many more learning moments at home. And they’re helping those in need build the skills and gain the knowledge necessary to find a fulfilling, prosperous career.
We have a unique perspective on the needs of the community. We live in Corktown, and we have neighbors who are struggling. When Call was diagnosed with speech delays at age 2, we learned that state-sponsored speech therapy programs vary greatly by county. Children in Detroit are eligible for three state-sponsored visits — one per month — which is wholly insufficient to treat severe speech delays. We were fortunate to have the resources to send Call to speech therapy twice a week, but many of our neighbors don’t have those same resources. United Way is there for those parents, offering free resources to help put their children on the right developmental path.
We have two kids now, and we’ve learned to prioritize our family’s needs. There are the must-haves, like a home and transportation. There are the should-haves, like savings accounts and retirement.
And then there are the could-haves, like football tickets or a nice dinner. For many, philanthropy falls into that could-have bucket. But for us, after seeing the impact United Way has up close, we have chosen to invest in our community by prioritizing our United Way gift as a must-have.
We believe in the mission of the organization. We hope you’ll join us in considering a Planned Gift to United Way.