November's How I LIVE UNITED: Advocate

Each month, we spotlight someone from our community who is LIVING UNITED by choosing to Give, Advocate or Volunteer.

Advocacy does not necessarily mean actively campaigning or lobbying for a cause. Marie Prothero advocates for United Way of Utah County by simply talking to the people around her. Prothero entered the medical field as a nurse because she wanted to help others. Now, as the CEO of Utah Valley Specialty Hospital, one of the ways she continues to help people is through her service with United Way of Utah County. "I saw the real impact of United Way when I served on a United Way of Utah County committee that worked on funding for agencies."

Prothero is a United Way board member and chair of the Community Investment Committee. She and the committee work closely with agencies to hold them accountable for funding, provide feedback and suggestions for improvement, so they best meet the needs of the community. The vision for the Community Investment Committee is evolving, but one thing Prothero hopes to see is more people served. "My hope for the committee is broader accountability and the ability to fund more programs because we're getting more businesses involved in United Way," said Prothero. "I would love to see our agency partners be able to serve more people, and I think through the committee's help, they'll be able to do that."

Advocating seems to come naturally for Prothero, who is willing to talk to anyone about giving and volunteering with United Way of Utah County. "Every time I talk to a business or employment group, I ask if they give to United Way," said Prothero. "If they say, ‘no,' then I try to connect them to people who can help get that started. I think workplace campaigns are important to allow employees to give." Prothero believes one of the best ways to advocate for United Way or any good cause is by simply opening your mouth. "I think as people get engaged in causes, it becomes part of what they're doing," Prothero said. "They talk about it and get other people engaged and soon it blossoms. We need to talk about it, we need to live it, and we need to be willing to advocate when we can."