Thank you, thank you, thank you! What a tremendous community this is, and I feel blessed to call it home. During one of the toughest economic times this nation has seen – you and 200,000 other individuals and companies decided to lend a hand to others who need help by donating to United Way. And you did so in a big way - 68.4 million ways.

Your spirit of caring has allowed United Way to surpass its fundraising goal and raise more than $68.4 million for those in need. Through each and every dollar you have pledged, you are making incalculable differences in people’s lives. A special thanks to Doug Albrecht and Andy Taylor, the campaign co-chairs, for leading us in this overwhelming expression of compassion and generosity.

As the United Way board chair for the past three years, and its campaign chair in 2005, I have had the honor of learning the ins and outs of United Way — what it does for this community and how truly effective and efficient it is with your donations.

For the nearly 200 agencies it funds, it means places like Fathers’ Support Center can exist to help men become better dads, the American Red Cross can teach lifesaving skills, United Services can give special attention to children who need it and much, much more! It also means the United Way’s 2-1-1 help line is available 24/7 to those who need it. For you, it means you can be confident that more than 90 cents of every dollar you give provides a stable source of funding to help more than one million people each year.

I like to say that a gift to United Way is a gift to the community. Thank you for your huge gift this year. Our region is inspiring to many with its outpouring of generosity and love.

Many blessings to all of you and your families during this holiday season.

David L. Steward

United Way Board Chair

St. Louis