Hi first name,

At Lubbock Area United Way, advocacy is a crucial piece of how we create lasting change on the South Plains.

In early July, United Way Worldwide hosted its largest-ever Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C. I decided to fly in a few days early and spent the weekend of July 4th roaming the National Mall. While there, I stopped over to greet a woman who has taught me a lot (see the sweaty selfie), and encountered this quote from her husband,

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.”

Those words journeyed with me through the conference and our meetings with lawmakers because that’s what we do as a United Way – move forward with faith. But more than that, we move forward with hope.

Our goal that week was to advocate for smart public policy that strengthens households and communities, such as the Help Act of 2025, which would increase the availability, reliability, and responsiveness of 211. Together with United Ways of Texas, we raised awareness with the offices of Senator Cornyn and Cruz about important Texas issues. I also want to give a special shout-out to Dina Jeffries of the South Plains Food Bank. Dina made the trip just to meet with the Senators’ offices and Congressman Arrington’s office. Thanks to her, we were able to share personal stories of how nonprofits are responding to needs on the ground and the importance of critical safety net programs. We also ended up being on the Hill at a crucial time for Texas, providing real-time updates on how Texas United Ways were responding to the Central Texas floods.

It's easy to feel that doubts and anxieties tend to rule the day in our present moment, and we’re not quite sure how to overcome them. But faith has always been the way to overcome fear. Hope always pushes us to the something better that’s just around the corner.

During the first week of COVID, I wrote on the office whiteboard, “Do the next right thing.” Our then VP of Community Impact, Devin McCain, came behind me with “Just keep swimming.” FDR, Elsa, and Dory all had it right. We move forward by putting one foot in front of the other.

Lubbock Area United Way advocates for smart public policy because it builds government efficiency, strengthens private-public partnerships, and lifts up communities. But advocacy doesn’t stop at the US Capitol. Our voices matter every day, from the steps of Citizens’ Tower to the county courthouse to Austin and back to D.C. We can all help shape the future of our community by staying informed and speaking up.

You can learn more about our public policy agenda and find ways to get involved on our website. Together, we can build a stronger Lubbock.

With gratitude,

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