About the CFC

United Way of Pierce County is the Principal Combined Fund Organization (PCFO) for the CFC of South Puget Sound.

The PCFO is the charitable organization selected by the Local Federal Coordinating Committee (LFCC) to administer the
local campaign. The PCFO operates under the direction
and control of the LFCC.

WHY GIVE?

When you give through the CFC to the charity of your choice... you empower a person in need, strenghen your neighborhoods and community for both you and your children, and not only make a difference but create the foundation for systematic change.

THE POWER OF YOUR GIFTS: See What it Does

REAL LIFE STORIES FROM THOSE HELPED

TAKE A LOOK: WHY GIVE VIDEO

ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY

A message from President Obama

Together we can accomplish more than any one of us can do alone, but don't take our word for it listen to the words of a CFC Donee recipient... Teri Lujan

I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU
AND TELL YOU I'M
HONORED TO BE HERE
TO SPEAK ABOUT
MAKE-A-WISH
WHERE I AM A VOLUNTEER

THERE ARE SO MANY
ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALL DESERVE THE GLORY,
BUT I'D LIKE TO SHARE
WITH YOU
MY OWN SPECIAL STORY

PEOPLE OFTEN ASK
WHAT VOLUNTEER
WORK MEANS TO ME,
IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN
I'LL GO BACK
A FEW YEARS YOU SEE,

MY HUSBAND AND I
HAD BEEN MARRIED
SEVERAL YEARS,
HAD OUR OWN HOME
AND WERE DOING WELL
IN OUR CAREERS

WE HAD TWO
BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN AND
WERE EXPECTING OUR THIRD,
AFTER A ROUTINE EYE EXAM
IS WHEN WE GOT THE WORD

OUR WORLD CAME TO A STOP
HOW DO I EXPLAIN THE STILLNESS?
RICKY, OUR FOUR-YEAR-OLD
WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH A DEVASTATING ILLNESS

HOW COULD ALL OF THIS
HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN SO?
A BRAIN TUMOR MEANT
HOSPITALS, DOCTORS, RADIATION AND CHEMO

BUT, OH, HOW OUR SON
HANDLED IT WITH GRACE,
HE AMAZINGLY ADJUSTED
TO HIS LITTLE BALD HEAD
AND A BIG ROUND FACE

OUR NEW SON ARRIVED
IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL
AND THAT'S ABOUT
WHEN RICKY GOT A
VERY SPECIAL CALL

HE'D BEEN GRANTED
A WISH FROM
MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION,
BUT LIFE WAS SO CRAZY,
WHAT DO THEY MEAN
A VACATION?

A FULL WEEK AT DISNEY WORLD
FOR OUR LITTLE BOY,
BROUGHT MEMORIES OF A LIFETIME
AND OUR HEARTS SUCH JOY

BUT HERE'S THE BEAUTY
OF WHAT MAKE-A-WISH DID,
IT ALLOWED US TO BE A FAMILY
AND, RICKY,
JUST BE A KID!

WITHIN MONTHS
RICKY GREW WEAK,
BUT HE WAS NEVER ALONE
FOR WE WERE BY HIS SIDE
WHEN GOD CALLED HIM HOME

MY SON HAD A PURPOSE
TO HIS FOUR YEARS
OF LIVING
HE TAUGHT ME TRUE LOVE
AND THE IMPORTANCE
OF GIVING

SO THIS BRINGS ME TO BACK
TO THE QUESTION
AT THE START
I DO MY MAKE-A-WISH WORK
STRAIGHT FROM MY HEART

AND I'VE LEARNED
IT'S NOT WHAT I DO
FOR THESE KIDS, YOU SEE
IT'S IN MEMORY OF RICKY
AND ALL THESE KIDS
DO FOR ME!

SO, IN CLOSING I'D LIKE
TO ASK YOU A FAVOR TODAY
GIVE TO A CHARITY THAT
TOUCHES YOU IN SOME WAY

AND GIVE FROM YOUR HEART
TO THE ONE THAT YOU CHOOSE
BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW,
SOMEDAY,
YOU MAY BE IN MY SHOES.

COMMITMENT - FOCUS - CHANGING REALITY
www.cfcgive.org

Melanie Manista-Rushforth, CFC Manager • 1501 Pacific Ave • P.O. Box 2215 • Tacoma, WA 98401 • 253-597-6686