Franklin-Grand Isle United Way
21st Annual Meeting
Wednesday, April 19, 2000

Thank you for inviting me to participate in your 21^st annual meeting.

I first want to congratulate Edna Chagnson for the great job that she has done in the past for this organization. I want to wish her well in her well deserved retirement (18 years at the helm is along time). I also want to recognize her for her incredible service to Franklin and Grand Isle County - and to the State of Vermont. This is not easy work - it is not easy to convince ask people for money - to convince businesses and individuals to give to the united way - it is not easy to decide to whom and how much grants should be distributed (of course she did not do this alone . . . ) And just think - over the past 18 years the need for these funds have become more imperative with the downsizing of government in the late 80's and early 90's and coupled with the recession of that time. I am sure that there were much more lucrative career alternatives along the way - but you chose to stick it out here at the United Way - because this job offered you something that no other place of employment could - the opportunity to do work worth doing. As President Teddy Roosevelt said, almost a century ago,"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

I also want to welcome Jeff Moreau. He is lucky in many ways for he is taking the helm an organization that is very important to the people of Franklin and Grand isle counties. You have big shoes to follow.

Finally, I want to congratulate all of you who are here today. The Franklin Grand Isle United Way is about making a difference in people's lives. All of us - on some level are working to make a difference - to make our little piece of the world a better place. The thing about charity based giving is that it works like a spider web - or oil spilled on water - one act of giving spreads out and out and out. It is not only the senior citizen who is visited at home by home health or meals on wheels who benefits - but his son and daughter who are worried to death about him - but cant visit during the day because they have to work. I know from personal experience the importance of the services you support - home health, meals on wheels have let people I love remain home and independent - . . . . .

This year you have accomlished an incredible task. - you raised more than . . .

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