By Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer
As Thanksgiving approaches, it is inevitable that I find myself reflecting on this past year. My word for 2025 is embrace, and as our UWCC staff prepares to gather in December and reveal our 2026 words, I’ve been reflecting on what embrace has truly meant in my life.
I chose the word for many reasons, and I can honestly say I lived into it more fully than I expected.
This year brought the joy of watching our daughter thrive through her senior year of high school and then begin her college chapter in my hometown of Tallahassee. Each visit fills me with memories—of my father, of generations before us, of the roots that shaped my life. Leah is living just a block from where her great-great-grandfather is buried. There’s something profoundly grounding about that, and she feels it too.
This has also been a year of embracing my health. Our Grand Tetons adventure nudged me back into caring for my physical wellbeing, and for the first time in many years, I’ve settled into a consistent routine at the gym. I’m grateful for that.
My husband and I are also learning what it means to embrace this new season of quiet—an empty nest, yes, but also a chance to rediscover one another and the dreams we have for this next chapter.
But while this year has brought incredible joy, it has also brought heartbreak. Early in 2025, someone who has been close to me for more than 40 years received a late-stage cancer diagnosis. The news arrived in the middle of a joyful moment, creating a jarring and painful contrast. Much of the loss in my life has been sudden; this time, the grief is slow, lingering, and deeply reflective.
Walking alongside his spouse through these months has been both devastating and awe-inspiring. The grace with which she navigates each day has pushed me to think differently about what it means to live fully when time suddenly feels finite. It has reminded me that every remaining moment—ordinary or extraordinary—matters, and that honoring the weight and the gift of our days is something we often postpone until life forces the reflection upon us.
While writing a letter to this man I care deeply about—one that tries to capture decades of love, laughter, and impact—I recalled something I heard at church that helped me crystallize what I wanted to say. The pastor asked, “What did God dream of when He placed me in my mother’s womb, and have I lived up to that dream for the world?”
Reflecting on that question, and later talking with my team, affirmed something I already sensed: it’s important to talk about and embrace these two realities—joy and heartbreak—because so many in our community are living in that same tension.
Recently local police officers shared that the mental health needs in our community are beyond anything they’ve seen.
At UWCC, the calls, the walk-ins, the quiet pleas for help—pain is everywhere, often hidden behind everyday routines and polite smiles. Our focus on mental health this year has opened my eyes even wider to the unseen struggles people carry. Through our United at Work program, I’ve been reminded repeatedly the people around us—coworkers, neighbors, strangers—need understanding, compassion, and care more than we often realize. I see this in my team as well. The pace of our work is relentless, the needs unending, and their wellbeing matters deeply to me.
This Thanksgiving, may we be people who notice the hurting, who say the words that need to be said, who seize moments of joy, and who embrace the good, the bad, and the hard with intention. That, I believe, is how we build a legacy that matters. That is how we honor the dream for the world—and for our lives.
Everyone needs help sometimes. If you’re facing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for immediate, confidential support. If you need help finding resources—housing, food, childcare, senior services, or financial guidance—dial 211 or 239-433-3900. For more information, visit: unitedwayccfl.org/2025Reflection
For more information about United Way Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community so all can thrive, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.