Janet joined W.L. Gore in 1991, after relocating to Arizona from her native Rhode Island. That first year, she participated in her first UWNA workplace giving campaign. Eventually she was part of the team running those campaigns for her plant within the W.L. Gore campus. Competition could be fierce to see which plant raised the most funds for UWNA, she said, which made the campaigns fun.
After she retired, Leung said, she received a letter from her former employer reminding her that she was still a valued part of the W.L. Gore family. She would be invited to Gore celebrations, still receive the company’s internal newsletter, and could continue to have her post-retirement donations to UWNA matched by the company.
For her it was an easy decision to keep supporting UWNA. She and her husband, John, had been members of UWNA Summit Society – donors who pledge more than $500 annually – for twenty-some years.
“The United Way understands the needs of the community and finds the best ways to meet those needs,” she said. “They also encourage people to volunteer. It’s a mission and a focus I agree with, and I feel privileged to continue to support them.”