Hero: Mother Teresa

Inspiration: Dolores, a young mother whose children attended the same grammar school as mine. She exemplified what it meant to be involved and to volunteer in her community, even while suffering from cancer. She sadly did not survive her battle, but her example has always stayed with me.

Reason for coming to United Way of the Bay Area: I was a stay-at-home mom ready to return to the workforce and came to the United Way as seasonal finance staff to help process all those donation forms. It was a great match that allowed me to use and develop skills, add value to the UWBA team, and grow in the process.

How does UWBA make an impact in the community: I am constantly amazed at all the collaboration United Way does in the community to bring various groups together to achieve a common goal.

Hero: Dorothy Stoneman, the founder and leader of YouthBuild USA. YouthBuild trains young people in construction and other fields, helps them obtain a GED, and grows them as leaders to overcome past failure and oppression. It is one of the most effective and inspiring programs for giving troubled young people (dropouts, teen parents, and incarcerated youth) a second chance. It has grown from one site in New York City to 273 in 45 states in 20 years, graduating 92,000 young people. Dorothy is calm but fierce, visionary and clear-minded, a leader and developer of leaders, an uncompromising ally to young people, and a great youth worker. All things I aspire to be.

Inspiration: See above! Additionally, I am inspired by outstanding poets including Martin Espada, Jalāl ad-Dīn Rumi, the Nuyoricans, Marge Piercy, and young people like Brave New Voices.

Reason for coming to United Way of the Bay Area: The fabulous Molly Wertz recruited me when we met as classmates in Leadership San Francisco in 2006. Then Carole Watson decided to give me a shot. (Thanks boss!) What attracted me even back then was UWBA’s effective and edgy poverty-fighting work.

How does UWBA make an impact in the community: By leading. We are a big, credible, established, skilled organization. To me that means we have both the opportunity and responsibility to lead on the most important issues, like poverty. As we embark on the roadmap to halving poverty by 2020, we need to be trusted gatherers of the community, skilled facilitators of shared planning and action, expert deliverers of high impact programs, determined policy advocates and coalition-builders, successful fundraisers, and inspiring communicators. I have confidence in our staff and volunteer team – we are all of these things, and we are the right people to lead.

Hero(s): The Tuskegee Airmen. Hero is such a large term and often over-simplified. These men fought their adversaries on the ground and in the air. They fought through personal pressures – internally, and externally imposed by society – with challenges at every turn of their lives. Their achievements laid the framework for significant changes within the military and society at large. My opportunity to work in the field of technology is a direct benefit from the sacrifice these men made with their lives.

Inspiration: The immense design of our world, the Universe, and the breath of the human spirit. I am continually inspired by the challenges and triumphs of people of color, indigenous populations throughout the world, the LGBT community, youth, and seniors alike. The witnessing of one hand reaching out to help another.

Reason for coming to United Way of the Bay Area: I wanted an opportunity to make a contribution to an organization which supports local neighborhoods. As a San Francisco native, I have personally experienced the changes brought forth in the community by the influence of the United Way of the Bay Area. I valued UWBA’s commitment to providing the tools of technology in support of its mission.

How does UWBA make an impact in the community: United Way of the Bay Area makes an impact in the Bay Area Community through its ability to leverage individual and corporate resources to support programs such as 211, Earn It Keep It Save It, and SparkPoint which provide personal touch points to client constituencies. These efforts are the foundation in achieving our goal of reducing poverty by 50% in the Bay Area by 2020.

Hero: My grandfather, who taught me the importance of perseverance and the discipline one must have in order to lead a happy and fulfilling life.

Inspiration: I am continuously inspired by my UW peers and non-profit colleagues that serve communities across the country. I’ve always been taught that one person can make a difference and each day I am inspired by the opportunity connect passionate individuals to engagement around the causes most important to them.

One of my favorite parts of my job is the annual Koko Challenge. The Challenge provides the legal community a way to raise money to fight poverty, network, gain recognition amongst their peers, have fun, and build morale. This year, we raised more than $1.5 million dollars during, the single largest amount in the history of Koko’s 24 years.

Reason for coming to United Way of the Bay Area: Being a first generation college graduate, I know the impact that having access to different opportunities can have on a young life which is why I became so invested in the community at an early age. When I was 11, I took a class trip where I was a reader in a childcare center for low-income families. I looked at the books with tattered or missing pages, and I was struck with the fact that these children deserved better. I launched my first plan to give back to my community by organizing a two-week long coin drive. It raised $ 3,000 that year, and the fundraiser continues annually to this day. Never could I have imagined that the child that raised $ 3,000 to make a small difference on her community could raise $9 million to make the Bay Area better in 2010.

How does UWBA make an impact in the community: Working for United Way, I am able to gain a unique perspective on our local community. My role in development provides me the opportunity to interact with individuals from all sectors of our community: anyone from a CEO of a local company to a low-income family utilizing one of our many resources. United Way has taught me that by connecting people to multiple services, we can offer sustainable impact and it is also a way to rally the community around itself.

Hero: Blessed Pope John Paul II for his important role in teaching Christianity and Peace, and for his special relationship with catholic youths. He was also credited for inspiring millions to topple down communism and tyranny.

Inspiration: My family. They are always there for me and make me strive to be a better person, especially now that I am a grandfather.

Reason for coming to United Way of the Bay Area: I always wanted to work for a nonprofit organization. I’m proud to be part of the UWBA. I have believed and supported the UWBA mission throughout the years because it has never failed to address what really matters in the community. That’s why I’m still here 29 years later.

How does UWBA make an impact in the community: While there are so many people struggling to make ends meet, UWBA leads and supports various nonprofits and volunteers to address the needs in the community. UWBA is leading the way again to mobilize the community to work together in cutting poverty by half in 2020. I am very proud to be a part of this challenging goal and vision.