Looking back with gratitude. Looking ahead with purpose.
By Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer
Recently, my husband asked me a simple question: "You'll be turning 60 next February. How do you want to celebrate?"
His question caught me off guard, not because of the number, but because it made me realize that milestones invite us to do more than celebrate. They invite us to reflect. To look back with gratitude for the experiences that shaped us and looking ahead with anticipation for what is still to come.
As it turns out, United Way Charlotte County is asking many of those same questions this year as we celebrate our own milestone: 60 years of serving this community.
While anniversaries naturally inspire us to honor the past, they also remind us that our best work is never behind us. Every chapter prepares us for the next one.
I'm clear the story of United Way has never been about a building, a campaign, or even a collection of programs. It has always been about people: neighbors helping neighbors, businesses investing in our community, volunteers giving their time, nonprofit partners working together, and donors believing that lasting change happens when we unite around a common purpose.
Since 1966, United Way Charlotte County has walked alongside this community through seasons of growth, hardship, celebration, and recovery. Together, we've responded to disasters, strengthened families, invested in children, and connected thousands of residents with resources that helped them navigate life's challenges.
The needs of Charlotte County have evolved over the years and so have we.
Today, our work is increasingly focused on creating lasting change by strengthening the systems that help people thrive. Whether supporting ALICE families on the path toward financial stability, connecting neighbors through volunteerism, expanding access to essential resources, or partnering with Charlotte County Public Schools to surround children and families with year-round support, we're investing not only in meeting today's needs but in creating greater opportunity for tomorrow.
That future is what excites me most.
As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, we're inviting the entire community to celebrate with us.
On Tuesday, August 11, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., we'll commemorate this milestone with a Chamber Ribbon Cutting and community celebration at the United Way Charlotte County office, located at 17831 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte. Rather than hosting a formal ceremony, we wanted to create something that reflects who we are: a welcoming gathering where families, volunteers, nonprofit partners, businesses, donors, and friends can reconnect, celebrate, and look toward the future together.
We'll have complimentary ice cream, sweet treats, and plenty of opportunities to visit with familiar faces while welcoming new ones. Whether you've been part of our story for decades or are just getting to know United Way, we'd love for you to join us.
This celebration is really about saying thank you.
Thank you to every volunteer who has shared their time. Every donor who has entrusted us with their generosity. Every business that has invested in our community. Every nonprofit partner who has stood beside us. Every advocate who has shared our mission. And every neighbor who has reached out to help another.
You have written this story with us.
As we look toward the future, I find myself thinking less about celebrating sixty years and more about what those sixty years have prepared us to become.
The next chapter of United Way Charlotte County is already being written, and I believe it's one of the most exciting in our history. Together, we'll continue mobilizing the power of our community so all can thrive, not only by meeting today's needs, but by creating opportunities that strengthen generations to come.
I hope you'll join us on August 11 as we celebrate where we've been, recognize the people who made it possible, and look forward to everything we'll accomplish together.
Because while milestones give us a reason to celebrate the past, they also remind us that some of the most meaningful chapters are still waiting to be written.
To RSVP for the celebration, please visit www.unitedwayccfl.org/celebratingsixty.
For more information about United Way Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community so all can thrive, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.