With Open Arms

Fantastic campaigns, led by dedicated Employee Campaign Managers are in full swing all across Dane County! The goal? Raise $18.1M to support local non-profit agencies like Community Action Collation, Porchlight, Schools of Hope and the hundreds of other initiatives supported by the United Way's Agenda for Change!

Being a Loaned Executive (LE) has given me the opportunity to get to know some of the most dedicated, quality, caring individuals in the community.  Over the past 3 weeks, I've been able to spend time with campaign teams and hundreds of employees from some of Dane County's largest employers including; American Family, M3 Insurance, WPS and John Deere Financial.  In addition to other local financial and insurance companies; Johnson Bank, Capitol One, Wisconsin Mutual Insurance, Hausmann-Johnson Insurance and Ansay and Associates.  The one thing these companies have in common, large or small, is a rich culture of giving back to the community.  It's amazing, really, to meet so many dedicated individuals. People that are themselves living pay check to pay check, yet they donate time and dollars to help a greater cause.

John Deere Financial Employee Campaign Managers
Karl Zobel and Ryan Schulz

John Deere's United Way Rally Room

During the course of the campaign the LE's have the opportunity to listen to community voices speakers from local non-profits.  They share stories about real people that have benefited from the generosity of others.  I may have mentioned a prison simulation the LE's did as part of our training.  The simulation exposed challenges ex-offenders face when trying to reintegrate back into the community.  During the simulation, I met Joseph Frey, released in July after serving 20 years of a 120 year sentence for a crime in which he did not commit.  The Wisconsin Innocence Project proved his innocence with the help of new DNA evidence. Imagine not being out in the community for 20 years...how much things have changed; cell phones, computers, new roads, job skills required to gain any level of employment, access to medical treatment.  

With Open Arms

This week, I had the opportunity to hear Linda Ketcuhum speak at one of the John Deere Financial rallies. Linda is from Madison Area Urban Ministry, one of United Ways non-profits that helped Joseph Frey reintegrate, helping him with the basics until he could get back on his feet.  Linda tells a great story about Joseph's years of incarceration and how his family ties faded over 20 years.  Recently, she invited Joseph to accompany her on a speaking engagement to tell his story first-hand.  After his story, a young man in the audience said, "Joseph, you don't know this and you don't know me but I am your nephew."  A coincidence that is too fantastic to believe.  Really, what are the chances that Joseph would have accompanied the speaker, to an organization in which his nephew worked and attended that particular rally.

Later that night, Joseph received an email from his nephew that simply stated, "With open arms." 



Fellow LE, Lisa Wendorff, heads out to a rally!