The summer solstice has arrived as of 4:50 p.m. June 20.

The term “solstice” translates to “sun” and “to stand still.” This longest day of the year had 15 hours and 12 minutes of daylight.

What does the summer solstice signal for you? Is it fun in the sun on a beach or in a pool? Is it outdoor camping or fishing? Time with family and friends?

For us at the United Way, summertime is a little bit of a breather from a busy spring. However, we must quickly pivot to gear up for another season, our annual fall campaign.

This fall we are gearing up for our “Journey to 100 Years.”

Our agency turns 100 in the spring of 2026. We are looking forward to celebrating 100 years of helping the community and sharing what a century of addressing vital human services looks like in our footprint.

We started in 1926 with fundraising for three local nonprofit organizations: the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts and the Campfire Girls.

We helped to address vital emergency needs and youth opportunity needs right from the beginning. Now we fund over 36 programs in Monroe and Lenawee counties within 24 agencies, and we process designated donations for many more agencies in both counties.

We help fight homelessness, hunger, poverty and address domestic violence, mental health counseling, substance use disorder, child care costs, senior meals, youth mentorship, and more.

As we venture into the summer and segway into our “Journey to 100 Years” campaign, we are conscious of just how important our mission is 100 years later.

To remain relevant for 100 years is pretty powerful! We hope this inspires even more people to join our campaign and join us in reaching even more people in the coming years. You can donate anytime — don’t wait a hundred years!

The United Way funds 11 local Lenawee County agency programs and serves as a donor designation vehicle for more than 30 additional agencies. We also sponsor countywide 211 services, coordinate Project Ramp, two annual Health Check events, and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). All funds raised in Lenawee County stay in Lenawee County. We appreciate your support to help fund important community needs.

For more information about living united, please contact us. Call us at 517-264-6821, email lpipis@unitedwaymlc.org, visit us at 136 E. Maumee St., Suite 15, Adrian, MI 49221 or visit our website at www.unitedwaymlc.org. We finally moved to our new space at the Gallery of Shops in downtown Adrian. Visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok social media platforms, too.

— Laura Schultz Pipis is the executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties: Summer an opportunity to relax