By Kelley McClurkin
We all know that person. The one who has everything. The one who insists that you don’t need to bring a gift to the party. The one who is just so unique that you don’t even know where to start.
For this person and so many more, allow me to suggest United Way of Hancock County’s 2024 Giving Guide.
This handy little tool can help you give a meaningful gift that your recipient won’t receive from anyone else. They’ll feel good that you gave a gift that helped someone in their name, and you’ll feel good knowing that you made a bright impact for someone in our community.
We’ve created some suggested gifts to help get you started, but the beauty of the Giving Guide is that each gift is entirely customizable.
First, you choose your favorite area of impact: fighting hunger, championing children’s success, fostering financial stability and independence, promoting safety and health, or supporting safe housing. Then, you choose the amount you would like to give. Once you make your selections, we’ll reach out to get a few details about your gift, and we’ll send you a printable certificate that you can present to your recipient.
It's a timely way to support our community, and it’s a whole new take on shopping local. Just like supporting our small businesses is so important for our local economy, giving local helps ensure that vital and basic resources are here for all who need them.
Let’s say, for instance, that you need a teacher’s gift. If you give just $10 in that teacher’s name, that provides two weeks’ worth of backpack meals for a student when they’re not in school. Bump it up to $20, and now you’ve helped out a local child who is food insecure for a whole month.
For many of us, this time of year is the most wonderful season of all. But it’s hard to enjoy it when you are struggling to feed your family or find a ride to work. We at United Way of Hancock County are so very proud of the important resources that our partner agencies provide, and we hear firsthand the stories of people whose lives have been touched by these services.
If you are still trying to come up with the perfect gift for that certain someone, or if you know someone who would feel honored by a gift in their name, please give our 2024 Giving Guide a look. There are an awful lot of people in our community who are struggling this holiday season, and your gift will be a blessing to them as well as your recipient. Visit www.uwhancock.org or check our social media pages to get started.
McClurkin is CEO of United Way of Hancock County.
(This guest column appeared in the Dec. 14, 2024, edition of The Findlay Courier.)