Heather Milligan’s journey with United Way began in Concord, New Hampshire, in the early 1990s with what was then Merrimack County United Way. She started volunteering after experiencing deep gratitude for the benefits that United Way helped make possible for her family.
Her son, at age 3, was non-verbal and soon diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, on the Autism Spectrum. He needed extensive services including speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy plus a number of special accommodations in the home. Through United Way, Heather was connected with Community Bridges who helped her to secure these services at minimal cost, which Heather says, she was “so grateful for since I barely made a living wage at the time”.
After experiencing the benefits first-hand, she felt compelled to “pay it forward” and volunteer with United Way to give back to others in the community. Over the years, Heather served in many ways including being part of the volunteer committees that review grant applications to recommend funding to the United Way Board of Directors for approval. When she left New Hampshire in 2015, the Merrimack County United Way had joined with other United Ways in New Hampshire to form the Granite United Way where they were making a broader and more effective impact through the power of collaborating to share resources.
In 2015, Heather’s job was relocated to Greensboro, and she immediately contacted United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) to see how she might serve and learn about the non-profits in this community. She began volunteering on one of our Impact Councils, which are groups of community leaders who are issue experts in Education, Financial Stability, Health Care, and Basic Needs. These volunteers review grant requests in a fair and non-biased way to ensure every dollar invested into the community is having the maximum impact—similar to what she had done in New Hampshire.
After a few years, Heather joined UWGG’s Community Investment Council, a committee of the Board of Directors, to provide direction on the strategic investments that our United Way makes. Such investments include Family Success Centers, the design and building of the Guilford Success Network, and Impact Area grants. In 2020, she was asked to join the United Way Board of Directors and in 2022, to lead the Community Investment Council as Chair.
Heather explains, “I give to the United Way because I passionately believe that everyone deserves the services and support they need to thrive and support their families. I volunteer with the United Way because I enjoy the connection to our community. It’s a joy to serve alongside a very dedicated and talented leadership team at the United Way, as well as with the Board and Council members who truly want to see us improve lives in our community—including lifting 3,000 families out of poverty by the year 2030.”
