United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County

"My name is T.J. McDowell and I'm the chief of staff for the mayor of Lincoln. When I was in elementary school, some friends brought me to the Malone Center for the first time, played basketball in high school with Dr. Kirkland, was our coach and it was so much fun. And I'm still friends today with my team members. The Malone Center is a community center that started in 1955. Historically, it's always served the African-American community, and being at the Malone Center helped me feel good about being a Black person, an African-American in Lincoln, Nebraska. I realized how important a United Way Agency had been in my life. And I realized that when you look at the scope of programs, it's rare in our community for someone or their family to not have been touched by the United Way or Chad agencies. Sooner or later, your family, you or your family is going to need a United Way or CHAD agency. I'm better off today because the United Way invests in our community. United Way celebrates 100 years of being there."