How Christina Brownlow Lives United

Empowering students and adults is Christina's mission in life. And after witnessing the work of United Way first-hand, she realized she had found the organization that would help her realize that mission.

Christina's career in teaching began as an intern at Coral Park Senior High. After a year, she secured a full-time teaching position at Lindsay Hopkins Technical College, where she has been teaching for 26 years. When Christina discovered that one of her students had been sleeping on a park bench, she contacted a United Way community services liaison she met when she joined the AFL-CIO. Back then, she gave either very little or not at all to United Way. But Christina was in awe when the liaison found shelter, food and transportation for her student within 24 hours. Soon after, when a colleague became an unexpected mother, Christina again sought out the help of United Way. Through a United Way-funded program, her colleague was able to obtain food vouchers and eventually, a job.

These experiences made Christina realize that United Way was not simply a charity, but an organization that helps people get back on their feet and on the road to independence. She was compelled to take action and became a United Way contributor. She is currently involved in the Miami-Dade Public School System's campaign and in 2009 made United Way a beneficiary of her life insurance policy. Believing that her gifts today and those she leaves as her legacy tomorrow will truly change lives, she has become the voice for The United Way Endowment within the school system.

Today, Christina is a strong believer in United Way's work and believes more of our neighbors should get involved - as volunteers and contributors. Helping students achieve their ultimate potential through volunteering, inspiring and giving is how Christina Brownlow LIVES UNITED!