Dear Editor:

Friends, I want to thank you for all your support over the past 30 years. I am retiring now, and I’m so grateful for having had this career in this Midcoast community. I’m grateful for the generosity I’ve witnessed, the dedication of people who work every day helping others, and the commitment we make to help our neighbors and make this an even stronger community for all of us.

It’s a great thing to work with others toward a mission bigger than yourself: United Way’s mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our communities. It’s what all of us – donors, volunteers, staff, partners – share.

We have something very special here in Midcoast Maine. We have people at nonprofit agencies and workplaces and healthcare providers and local businesses, governments and schools who work together for the good of the community. We have people who know and trust each other, who are willing to try new things in new ways while sustaining what is working and important. We have strong relationships and a strong sense of community here in Midcoast Maine.

Together, with United Way, we’ve raised millions of dollars, mobilized people’s caring into effective action, supported a strong network of local nonprofits providing critical help, launched exciting initiatives for long-lasting change, elevated the importance of investing in early childhood, and, in the end, helped tens of thousands of local people to improved lives.

And the work continues! You may have heard that United Way is trying to raise an additional $100,000 to make sure we can meet the needs of local people over the coming year. There’s no better time to give than right now. (Donate at www.uwmcm.org/donate or send a donation to 34 Wing Farm Parkway, Bath, ME 04530)

I’m excited about the future of this United Way. I know that we have exactly the right team in place at United Way, Board and staff, to steer us confidently forward. The future is in good hands.

Thank you all so very much.

Barbara Reinertsen

Bath