From October 20 – November 20, Pitt Social Work is running its internal United Way campaign to try to reach our school-wide goal of $12,000 in pledged donations to the United Way. Donors who give to UW through Pitt are not required to support United Way itself – you can select from hundreds of non-profits around the region, and give your entire gift to one or more non-profits of your choosing. The UW giving platform has lots of flexibility. You can decide how much you give and how often, and the pledge is automatically deducted from your payroll. You an also support multiple organizations at different levels of giving. We are profiling a handful of Social Work staff and faculty who supported area organizations through United Way last year to inspire our Pitt SW community to give generously this year and help us meet our goal. You can donate here.
Name and Title
Vince Burns, Fiscal and Human Resources Manager, University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work, The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center
How long have you been a United Way donor?
I have been a donor longer than I can remember.
Why do you give to the United Way?
For me, giving to the United Way is an opportunity to give back and help others.
Do you designate your funds to certain areas or agencies? If yes, why?
Yes, I designate my donation to certain areas/agencies. This is my opportunity to give back to the area where I grew up (Southwest PA) and where I currently live (Southcentral PA). I also choose to donate to agencies that are most meaningful to me and where I think I can help make a difference.
How would you encourage others to become United Way donors?
I would ask everyone to see all the good around us. When misfortune and disaster happens, look at who steps-in and steps-up to help and support. Many times, it’s the United Way or a United-Way affiliate. While I don’t have the resources to singlehandedly make a difference, collectively we have the power to do so much more. United Way agencies are able to pool our donations to significantly impact and improve a person’s situation. No donation is too small. Remember as winter fast approaches, a single snowflake might appear insignificant, but enough snowflakes combined can create an avalanche. Let’s create an avalanche of goodness through the United Way.