United Way Impact Up Close: Bus Tours
Community Impact Bus Tours Continue to Make a Difference
Ever wanted to see what United Way’s work looks like first-hand? Our Shawnee County Community Impact Bus Tour allows you to do just that!
Each year, we provide bus tours for companies, donors, and other interested parties who want to learn more about United Way’s work in Shawnee County. Over the course of three hours, participants get to engage in an interactive experience that explores what it means to build a healthy and resilient community.
Tour participants get to make several stops along the tour, including in the Hi-Crest neighborhood, and a stop at the Pine Ridge Partnership. These tours are generously made possible through the support of Topeka Public Schools.
UWKV Board Member Alex Jones, with Goodyear Tire & Rubber, recently had the chance to attend a tour and had this reaction:
“I had the privilege of joining the United Way of Kaw Valley on a community bus tour through Topeka. What I thought would be just an educational outing quickly became one of the most inspiring experiences I’ve had in a long time.
The tour opened my eyes to the deep income disparities that exist within our city. We drove through neighborhoods where access to resources — safe parks, grocery stores, health services, and community centers — is limited or nonexistent. For many families, these missing pieces make daily life a constant uphill climb.
But alongside the challenges, we also met the difference makers — people who have dedicated their lives to serving others. These community leaders, volunteers, and partners of United Way are building bridges of opportunity. They are mentors, advocates, and problem-solvers, showing families a path forward and proving that change is possible.
United Way’s partnerships with local organizations are at the heart of this transformation. Together, they are not only addressing immediate needs but also creating long-term solutions to lift families and strengthen neighborhoods.
Walking away from this tour, I felt both the weight of the challenges and the hope of possibility. I saw that when people come together — when we care enough to act — real change happens.
If you’ve ever wondered what impact United Way has in our community, I encourage you to take this tour yourself, or better yet, get involved. Volunteer, donate, or simply spread the word. The work being done is too important to ignore, and each of us has a role to play in building a stronger, more equitable Topeka.”
If you could like to schedule a tour for your organization, contact Angel Romero at aromero@uwkawvalley.org, or 785.228.5128.