At this year's 2025 Community Impact Breakfast on August 14, several United Way of Sumner County board members served as award presenters. We asked them to share their "why" for being involved with UWSC. Here is what Jordan Woodruff, UWSC Board Vice Chair, shared that day:
Good morning, my name is Jordan Woodruff, and I have the pleasure of serving as Vice Chair of the board.
I have been asked to tell you about my WHY for partnering with United Way.
President George H.W. Bush once said, “There can be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others.”
Rotarians put it this way “service above self.”
This is why we are here today. Everyone in this room has chosen to serve their fellow man by being involved with the United Way. Whether that is through volunteering your time, giving of your personal treasure, or being an advocate of this great organization, everyone in here has chosen a life of service.
What I love most about the United Way is its ability to give back to all of Sumner County. United Way is a great, centralized conduit that can help a free clinic in Gallatin, a senior center in Westmoreland, a home for homeless women in Hendersonville, and a food pantry in Portland, and that is just a regular Monday. There is no other organization that also has the resources and expertise to jump into action when a local non-profit decided to close its doors, without warning, and displaced about 30 kids/families from their summer plans, like the United Way did this past summer, when they found other partner organizations to take them in.
So, what is my WHY?
I partner with the United Way to make a difference in the lives of Sumner County Residents, many of which would suffer if the United Way and its partner agencies were not around.
