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<p>So, were you curious? Did you check it out? Did you get the right glasses? Were you in wonder and awe? For me, the answers to these questions were yes, yes, no and yes.</p><p>For a few minutes on Aug. 21, I really got caught up in the excitement of the solar eclipse.</p><p>Many of my co-workers and I went on the roof of our office building to experience the rare occurrence. Pardon the pun, but I wasn&#8217;t &#8220;bright&#8221; enough to think far enough ahead to get the right glasses, but thankfully, those who did were happy to share and we all saw an impressive and memorable event.</p><p>Although from our vantage point here in Pennsylvania it was not a total eclipse, it was, for me, a wonderful reminder of how strong and powerful the sun really is. While we were all wondering how dark it might get and how long any darkness would last, we all noticed when the moon was moving away and the light we expected at 2:40 in the afternoon began to return.</p><p>We even celebrated the occasion with chocolate and vanilla ice cream!</p><p>At the United Way of Wyoming Valley, we don&#8217;t stare at darkness, we fight it.</p><p>Every day, with the help of thousands of generous donors and community-minded volunteers, we fight the darkness of poverty, hunger, child abuse and neglect, addiction, homelessness, domestic violence, unemployment, and many other needs and issues that impact children, families and our community. Across the nation, the United Way is fighting for the education, health and financial stability for every person in every community. I would like to ask each of you to join this fight as well.</p><p>As we begin the 2017 annual campaign, our goal continues to be to help Wyoming Valley children and families find a pathway out of poverty. There is much to do, of course. Among our many priorities, we are currently working to improve grade-level reading which can lead to higher graduation rates and greater success in life; reduce the alarming rate of child abuse and neglect in our community; prevent opioid addiction with community education; and create a workforce development initiative to help families obtain greater financial stability.</p><p>I am hopeful. Former Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Desmond Tutu, once said, &#8220;Hope is being able to see the light despite all the darkness.&#8221;</p><p>Perhaps there will always be some darkness, but I am hopeful because we live in a good community &#8230; a community that cares. If you are among the thousands of donors and volunteers that help the United Way and our community every year, to me, you are the stars that shine the brightest. You are always a source of light and goodness and, because of you, lives are changing.</p><p>While I was curious, and caught up in the wonder and awe of the solar eclipse last month, I am even more impressed by, and always grateful for, those who bring light to those in need, especially those at-risk children who experience and may only know darkness.</p><p>We are all called to help, serve and be a light for others. If you can, please answer that call by supporting the United Way campaign this year.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The sun in totality during Monday's total solar eclipse. Easley and Pickens County were flooded with people who wanted to see the event.</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_194.jpg</photo0><caption0>The sun in totality during Monday's total solar eclipse. Easley and Pickens County were flooded with people who wanted to see the event.</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Bill Jones</p><p>Guest Columnist</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Bill Jones is President and CEO at United Way of Wyoming Valley. He can be reached at 829- 6711 ext. 1230. The Times Leader encourages officials from nonprofit organizations to contribute guest columns. Send submissions to jsoprano@www.timesleader.com</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Their view: Help the United Way fight the darkness