Danielle Marie Leblanc believes in the humanitarian power of volunteering and community service. Since she was a teenager, Danielle Marie Leblanc has donated her time to volunteering and has worked with a number of agencies and individuals. Within the past year, her volunteer commitments decreased, and she decided to start a new position. Danielle Marie Leblanc is excited to announce that she will be starting a volunteer position at United Way this fall.

United Way is a non-profit organization with over 1,200 offices throughout the country. It is composed of a coalition of networks that work together to improve local communities through fundraising and support. United Way’s beginnings trace back to 1887, when several church leaders in Denver, Colorado created a charitable organization that helped 22 local agencies with fundraising efforts. By 1963, after several changes in location and name, the modern United Way was established in Alexandria, Virginia.

United Way provides a multitude of services to local communities, but its main goals focus on education, income, and health. In 2008, United Way created an extensive 10 year plan for the following goals to be achieved by 2018: improve education and decrease high school dropout rates by 50%, increase financial stability for 1.9 million working families, and promote healthy behaviors through promoting health awareness and decreasing risky habits of one third of children and adults

Danielle Marie Leblanc was drawn to United Way for its comprehensive goals and breadth of services. She explains, “I was impressed by all the programs that United Way offers, and I think I could work with a variety of populations as a volunteer.” Danielle Marie Leblanc values work that encompasses a number of areas, as she feels that many social issues are important. She is particularly interested in the income and health sectors of United Way’s work, as these are problems that she sees in her local community. She says, “It breaks my heart when I see high school dropouts, or people with significant health issues. I know that everyone has a lot to life for, so I’m excited to start volunteering in these areas.”