Next Gen Ambassador Q&A with Mary Krewduk

Butler resident, loving dog mom and fiancé, Mary Krewduck spends most of her time with family and the rest of it helping her community.

As the Fundraising and Communication Specialist at The Arc of Butler County for the past five years, Mary has dedicated her time to advocating for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Before achieving professional success, her passion for giving back was sparked in school. Learn more about Mary and how she got involved with United Way’s Next Gen Ambassador program.

How did you get involved with philanthropy?

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always felt joy from helping others. In high school, I was active in my church, and experienced several missions trips. I went into my first year of college at Slippery Rock University not knowing which direction to take to find a career where I felt like I was doing something to make a difference.

After taking a Civic Engagement course that I was randomly thrown into, I learned that SRU had a degree program for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Management. Everything finally clicked and I realized that ‘I can make a difference, while making a living.’

What made you choose United Way as a philanthropic cause you want to support?

United Way has really impacted the organization I work for, and through that I knew I wanted to be more involved. I started donating through our organization’s Workplace Campaign and have joined in on the benefits of doing that, including membership with Next Gen, Bridges Society, and Women’s Leadership Council.

As a Next Gen Ambassador, you are required to volunteer, please tell us a little bit about your volunteer experiences.

Volunteering is one of my passions. Last year, as an officer in the Junior Women’s Club of Butler, I encouraged members to donate books to United Way’s Diversity Book Drive and I’ll be doing the same thing this year through my workplace campaign. I’ve served as United Way’s workplace campaign chair and employee engagement champion at The Arc of Butler County for the past four years. I annually participate in United Way’s Week of Caring, which has become such an impactful experience that I look forward to every year. After joining Bridges and WLC this year, I had the opportunity to tour and volunteer at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank this fall. Every opportunity is not only a chance to have fun with friends and colleagues, but also a chance to give back to my community.

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Thank you, Mary, for your dedication and passion for United Way and your community!