Why I Give Thanks

Hello, everyone. My name is Rev. Uriah Williams, and I am the new executive director for the Shawano Area United Way, Inc. which serves Shawano County and the Menominee Reservation. This year, I have a great many things to be grateful for in my life, including a good roof over my head, adding a member to our family, and getting to work with some of the most amazing people I have ever met.

It’s this last item that I want to focus on because words cannot truly express succinctly how thankful I am for each and every volunteer, staff member and community member throughout our service area that works to make the Shawano area a better place for all their neighbors.

On Nov. 5, for example, I was volunteering at the Snuggled with a Hug Diaper Bank with its director and several other volunteers. This program has served just under 200 families since it began in 2021. In November alone, we added seven new families and served a total of 30 families, many with multiple children enrolled.

If you don’t know what the Snuggled with a Hug Diaper Bank is, on the first Tuesday of every month from 4-6 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Shawano, eligible families can come receive free diapers for their children that are up to 4 years old. All a family needs to be eligible is to provide a state issued ID with a current address in Shawano County and either a WIC card or proof of Badger Healthcare. This truly is a phenomenal program for Shawano County.

More than that, some amazing things were apparent to me while working that night. We were giving out diapers that the Shawano branch of Associated Bank and its customers had just donated the week before and other diapers that had been funded by community donations. Several family members, friends and a staff member from Family Services were picking diapers up for the parents who were working. I was witness to people taking care of their neighbors and loved ones, something I am always grateful for.

On top of that, the diaper bank has a partnership with the Shawano Area Food Pantry and Resource Center (SAFPARC). Diaper bank clients can go straight from picking up their diapers to the food pantry to receive free food just by showing their diaper bank registration card. So, not only was the Diaper Bank providing resources and volunteers to help families in need, but so was SAFPARC, which is another nonprofit organization that is supported by the Shawano community with some amazing staff and volunteers keeping it going year after year.

In one night, I had the opportunity to watch as a whole community came together to take care of its fellow citizens. Businesses, personal donors, volunteers, nonprofit organizations and people who care gave of their time, talents and treasure and those 30 families were able to benefit from this abundant generosity of the Shawano area. That is always something to be grateful for.

It’s moments like that in which I am most proud to live in Shawano. Moments when we prove that this is a community that takes care of one another. That is the kind of community that I want to raise my daughter in. That is the kind of community that others want to be a part of. That is the kind of community that we work to help support at United Way. So, this month, I am grateful for those who make this kind of community possible.

If you’re interested in learning more about what the Shawano Area United Way does, check us out on Facebook or visit our website at www.shawanocountyunitedway.org. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and see all the blessings around you that you have to be thankful for.

The Rev. Uriah Williams is the executive director for Shawano Area United Way, Inc.