Keisha Allen has seen a lot in her decades of serving her community. And, when she signed on to be a Board Member for United Way of Central Maryland in 2021, she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it at first. What she did know, though, is that communities like hers deserved more.
And that’s just what UWCM was doing. More. More resources, more encouragement, more hands-on support. Keisha quickly saw what makes UWCM unique – It fills the gaps left behind.
She works full-time for a regional hospital system in the area, and with 23 years of working for and with her neighbors, she understands what needs to happen to ensure plans are not just being made, but fulfilled, “We need to focus on those quality of life issues. Making sure that what we as a neighborhood decided 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago. Did we ever get it? How did it work out? Has it come and gone? And do we need to do it all over again? What got missed?” A true full-circle movement.
When she thinks about what the area has been, and what it can be in the future she said, almost poetically, “We’re a rising tide, that’s our mission. And people here want to stick around to be able to enjoy what the older community remembers as a very healthy, thriving community.” handing down a stronger future for the next generation. All of which she sees happening with the continued support of the United Way of Central Maryland.
