Your childhood shapes you. The things you encounter in your young adult life make you the person you are today. You can either let those things make you bitter, or you can grow from them and make your world and the world around you better. For Billy Bruce and his wife Rachel, they chose the latter.
During his childhood, Billy bounced through the foster care system for a time but eventually landed at a group home that was fully funded by United Way. The guidance provided by the United Way funded agency gave him the tools to be successful in his life, to go to college, and start down a path that was better than another looming close behind. As an adult, he has been a consistent advocate for United Way and has a passion for giving back. Billy’s path eventually led to Rachel, and now they share a beautiful, happy life together. “The way he cares for others, and his desire to make our community a better place is what initially drew me to Billy,” Rachel said. “It’s been true love ever since.”
As husband and wife, giving back to the community has stayed a priority. Billy and Rachel have been volunteering with United Way for the past 18 years. They are both active in workplace giving, but they go above and beyond with their giving as members of the Legacy Society. The Legacy Society is a planned giving society that allows people like Billy and Rachel to advance the common good now and forever. Legacy Society gifts support the long-term success of Rutherford and Cannon counties and ensure programs and initiatives are continued for the members of our community.
“We hope we can work with others to create positive opportunities for generations to come,” Billy and Rachel said. “We invest what we have been so blessed to receive, we advocate and support the great work of this organization and gladly volunteer to empower those in need through partnership with United Way. Our greatest pleasure is to know we are giving back and paying it forward. Being able to help people in our community brings joy to our hearts and enriches our lives.”
Billy and Rachel are residents of Murfreesboro, Tennessee and they were born and raised in the same Middle Tennessee hometown before both attending MTSU. Rachel is currently the Marketing Manager for Aramark at MTSU and Billy is a Manager with UPS. Billy was honored as the 2018 United Way of Rutherford & Cannon Counties’ Volunteer of the Year at the Annual Celebration. The Bruce’s spend their free time traveling and loving on their fur babies- Stella, Zeke and Sheldon.
Want to know more about how to get involved with United Way or have questions about joining the Legacy Society and making a planned gift? Visit yourlocaluw.org/legacy.
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