United Way in need of more donations

An organization that has been known for helping others for over a century now needs your help for its local chapter.

Since its humble beginnings in 1887, when a Denver priest, two ministers and a rabbi put their heads together to plan the first united campaign for 10 health and welfare agencies, United Way has collected and distributed literally billions of dollars to charities and nonprofit organizations.

But as most people know, in many communities where it operates, United Way has always counted heavily on support from business and local industry in the form of payroll deduction programs and corporate donations.

So, considering the exodus of industry from the area in the last decade, with the loss of Carrier being one of the most serious recent blows, it?s no surprise that United Way of Warren County is in dire straits, cutting distribution of funds to local charities by a staggering 90 percent this year.

The charities United Way of Warren County serves, which includes such vital service organizations as the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, CHEER Mental Health, Meals on Wheels, Kids of the Community, McMinnville-Warren County Senior Center and Families in Crisis, will receive only 10 percent of what they received in 2006.

That?s why the local board is working to bring United Way of Warren County back from its current low point, but those involved say its going to take a lot of help from the community to pull the venerable charitable organization out of its doldrums.

The United Way of Warren County board of directors currently includes Brian Woods, president, Cheryl Watson Mingle, vice president, Susie Griffith, secretary, and members Nelma Justin, Martha Pepper, Wayne Pryor, Janie Stewart, Tammy McKinney and Michael Griffith.

?I think a lot of people don?t realize United Way is still around and trying to support these local charities,? said Mingle. ?With the loss of so many of our former contributors we desperately need the support of individuals, business and industry in the community to survive.?

Some local nonprofits, like Families in Crisis, have gone so far as to designate some of the money from their own fundraisers to United Way.

?They have done so much for us over the years,? said FIC executive director Sheila Lee, ?that we wanted to give back. They are really having a hard time right now.?

Lee says the frustrating thing is how little it would take to put United Way back on track.

?If everybody who worked in Warren County would just give 50 cents a week out of their pay,? Lee said, ?then that would add up to more for United Way to fund us than we could raise in eight fundraisers a year.?

Lee says the traditional mode of payroll deduction is still one of the most effective ways to donate to United Way, and encourages businesses and industry to take the time to set up a program for their employees.

Anyone interested in making private donations, or businesses, clubs and other organizations that want to do a fundraiser for United Way, or companies that want to set up a payroll deduction program, can do so by contacting Susie Griffith at 473-1515.