By Lacey Mills
Who Knew Reno County?
There are some programs that are easy to talk about.
A child learns to read. A family buys their first home. A student graduates. We celebrate those moments because they represent possibility, progress and hope.
Then there are the programs that exist because life doesn’t always go according to plan. Programs that respond when a child has been abused. When someone is contemplating suicide. When a family is caring for a loved one nearing the end of life. When a young person is facing challenges that could alter the course of their future.
These aren’t topics most of us enjoy thinking about. In fact, if we’re honest, many of us would prefer to believe they don’t happen at all. But they do. And because they do, our community needs people willing to step into those spaces.
Every year, at United Way of Reno County, I have the opportunity to learn more about the organizations and programs serving our neighbors that we fund. As I visit programs and talk with staff and volunteers, I am consistently struck by the same thought: I don’t know if I could do what they do every day.
At the Child Advocacy Center, children who may have experienced abuse or witnessed a crime are met with compassion, expertise and support. Staff members work alongside law enforcement, child welfare professionals, medical providers and therapists to help reduce trauma while seeking healing and justice for children and families. They also work proactively through prevention programs in our schools, helping children learn how to recognize unsafe situations and seek help when needed.
The work is incredibly important. It’s also incredibly hard.
The same can be said for the Reno County Suicide Prevention Coalition. Their mission is built around conversations many people find uncomfortable, yet they are conversations that can save lives. Through education, awareness, resource sharing and community collaboration, they work to ensure people know where to turn during a crisis and that support is available before a tragedy occurs.
Then there are the caregivers at Hospice House. Day after day, they walk alongside individuals and families navigating one of life’s most difficult transitions. They provide comfort, dignity, respite and support not only for patients but also for the loved ones carrying the emotional weight of caregiving. They create space for peace during moments that are often filled with uncertainty and grief.
Organizations like BrightHouse are doing similarly challenging work, helping young people and families navigate difficult circumstances and build a path toward stability and success. Their work often begins when a young person feels unseen, disconnected or without direction and continues until hope begins to take root.
What strikes me most about all of these programs is not simply what they do. It’s that they keep showing up. They show up after hearing difficult stories. They show up after walking with families through heartbreak. They show up after long days, hard conversations and emotionally exhausting situations. And then they do it again the next day.
Not because the work is easy. Not because the outcomes are always guaranteed. But because they believe every child deserves safety. Every person deserves support. Every family deserves dignity. Every life has value.
When we talk about building a stronger community, we often focus on growth, opportunity and success. Those things matter. But a strong community is also one that refuses to look away from difficult realities. It is one that invests in the people willing to do the hard work and tackle the challenges most of us hope never touch our own families.
The truth is, the best communities aren’t defined by the absence of hardship. They’re defined by how they respond to it.
And here in Reno County, we are fortunate to have organizations and professionals who respond every single day.
Lacey Mills is the executive director of United Way of Reno County and can be reached at lmills@uwrenocounty.org.