FREE HUGS

Double Click on the play button in the center of the movie box above. Note: it may take a few moments to load depending on your connection. If you have trouble loading - CLICK HERE

This is an independent film short posted on youTube.com. While it was not produced by United Way, the story it tells illustrates our collective work to improve community conditions by getting at the root causes of the problems we face.

In this story the "hero" sees a world of indifference. In United Way language, that is the community condition he wants to change.

Working alone, his efforts are ineffective and met with resistance. In time, as he engages others, the momentum begins to shift. He has mobilized his community to change a social norm. Even when met with official resistance, the collaborative effort shifted activities and worked to change the counterproductive laws affecting the community. We call that systems change.

In the end, our hero is not just one individual, but rather the entire community. The outcome of this effort is not measured in the number of people hugged or the number of signatures on the petition... it's measured by the increased sense of community and decreased apathy.

For United Way of Bucks County, we believe we have a role in helping to engage the community on issues important to us all. As seen in this video, changing conditions doesn't necessarily require increased funding, but that's sometimes part of it. It does, however, require the community working together on what matters. It requires having a focus on community level outcomes, and putting real strategies in place to affect change.