I told my brother once that he needed to take a class — Reality 101. Little did I know I would choose a career that forces me daily to take on the reality of our community. As the director of Rowan Information & Referral, I see that our agency helps with the difficult realities people must face every day.

The mission of Rowan I&R, a Rowan County United Way member agency, is “Linking People with Helping Agencies.” Our goal is to be the first call made by Rowan county residents needing to know the resources of our community. We rely heavily on United Way as our major source to provide funding that allows us to help so many with a wide range of needs.

Without the United Way funding that you, the people of Rowan County, provide, Rowan I&R would not be able to hear these desperate voices: The battered woman seeking the courage to ask about how someone can provide a bed, food and clothing for her and her children; or the husband of an alcoholic asking for a support group; or the adult child in California trying to take care of her parents living in Rowan County.

Others who call Rowan I&R are not in a crisis situation. They need to know how to maneuver through the bureaucratic maze of the local, state and federal systems. Our agency saves these people much time and effort when they call us first.

Many people ask me, “Who do you serve?” The answer is not simple. I say we serve all Rowan county residents. We feed the homeless, save the abused, heal the sick and employ the jobless. We guide boys and girls; educate parents, youth and the illiterate; and provide activities for the elderly and the disabled. We coordinate community disaster responses, support families in financial crisis, provide knowledge of all nonprofit and governmental community resources and connect donations with those in need. The way we do all this is by shedding light onto United Way member agencies’ services, as well as other community resources.

Who calls I&R? The homeless, millionaires, high school dropouts and college graduates looking for jobs, professionals researching community resources for their clients, prisoners, attorneys, newcomers to our community and visitors, as well as other helping agencies needing additional information about services in the community. The list is endless, but the common thread is people with questions.

In Rowan county there is one agency that houses a database of nonprofit and governmental resources and shares this information by providing a one-on-one service for callers to determine their needs. That agency is Rowan Information & Referral. I am convinced of the importance of the role of Rowan I&R in our community. I want to thank you all for your past, present and future financial support to United Way. Because of United Way’s funding, we are able to make a difference in lives every day, and that is something I can proudly tell my kids I do.

Rowan Information & Referral is available to you Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please call us — we can help you — at 704-638-3131. This is a free call in Rowan County.

Suzanne Carter Storch is executive director of Rowan Information & Referral.