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Just over two months ago, a friend of mine posted a sad note on Facebook that Dr. Paul Farmer died at the very young age of 62. I wasn’t sure who Dr. Farmer was, but I felt empathy for my friend for her loss.

The next day, the national news reported that Dr. Paul Farmer, a renowned Harvard physician and a champion of global health unexpectedly died in his sleep while he was in Rwanda. He was the founder of Partners in Health, an international nonprofit organization that brought modern health care to millions of impoverished people worldwide.

I am not sure that my friend personally knew Dr. Farmer, but perhaps knew of his work and had tremendous respect for him. I learned that he was truly a visionary and dedicated his life to improving health equity for the very poor. I felt “out of touch” because I was not immediately familiar with him, but I was fascinated by the enormous humanitarian impact he made throughout the world.

In addition to being a physician, Dr. Farmer was also a teacher and a writer who authored a number of books. As I read more about him, I found a very familiar quote that I had admired for a long time. Dr. Farmer often said, “The idea that some lives matter less than others is the root of all that is wrong with the world.” To me, that has always been a powerful observation and a cause for reflection.

I interpret his words, in their purest sense, to mean that regardless of our race, ethnicity, age, gender, wealth and economic status, education levels, etc., we all matter. Those who we do not know, including people outside of our circle and those struggling at the margins of society matter as well. No one matters less than someone else.

What would our community, country or world look like if we not only believed this was true, but if we lived our lives because it is?

About eight years before I joined the United Way of Wyoming Valley, the United Way network developed an advertising campaign called “What Matters.” At the time, phrases like “Community Matters,” “Impact Matters,” “Results Matter,” would be used to illustrate that the work of the United Way mattered because people matter.

Although this ad campaign is no longer used, the spirit of the message still resonates. The United Way has always recognized that we all matter because, as the worldwide pandemic proved, we are all very connected to each other.

The United Way of Wyoming Valley was founded 100 years ago on the promise that if we can share our time and resources, those gifts would improve the lives of the most vulnerable and strengthen our community. Because the most vulnerable of our community matter, that promise is still at the core of our work today.

How we view, respect and treat each other is important and can change lives. At times, life can be challenging for any of us. As such, every day, we are all called to do our best to be kind, caring, and supportive of one another.

Dr. Paul Farmer was an inspirational figure who led an extraordinary life of service. He challenged the world to do more for those in need and he had it right. … We all matter and no one matters less.

Bill Jones is the president and CEO of the United Way of WyomingValley.

Bill Jones is the president and CEO of the United Way of WyomingValley.