United Way campaign again under goal

Van Wert independent/United Way information

Although this year’s United Way campaign got off to a great start through the efforts of Pacesetter Community Health Professionals, it has been struggling a bit lately to reach its goal of $450,000.

“Our campaign pacesetter Community Health Professionals started off our campaign with 100 percent of their employees participating along with several other fundraisers that they did for the United Way,” said Meghan Dicke, 2010 campaign chair. “They set a good example and set a standard that we hoped everyone would follow throughout the campaign. I am very appreciative of all Community Health Professionals did for our campaign.”

Dicke added that she was pleased to announce that the County Division and Delphos are over their goal, as well as the accountants and financial advisors, county education, county government, dentists, organizations, and Vantage Career Center.

Specific county divisions that have exceeded their goal include Liberty, Pleasant, Ridge, Tully, Union, and Washington townships, Venedocia and Willshire, but Dicke said, with only a couple of companies yet to report their campaign total, that is not sufficient to reach this year’s goal.

“It is imperative that we do reach that $450,000 goal,” this year’s campaign chair stressed, adding that last year’s campaign was in the same position, but a $32 mini-campaign was conducted and area residents responded to put that campaign over the top.

“But we do not want to have to do a mini campaign every year,” Dicke said. “When agencies depend on the generosity of the community to the United Way to raise funds for their programs, it is serious.  When the United Way receives the funding applications and volunteers study them, every program is important to the community.”

All programs serve one segment of the population of the county or another, Dicke added.  If an agency has received state and federal funding in the past, that funding has been reduced and will continue to be reduced.

“They are looking to the United Way to help them make up the difference, to keep the programs going and serving the people of Van Wert,” Dicke said. “When you look at their application and the number of people who are being served for a low cost and you don’t have enough funding to go around, tough decisions need to be made by our volunteers. Honestly there are some sleepless nights where you just worry about the people who cannot be served because there are not enough funds”.

Dicke said that the United Way appreciates all those who have contributed and thank them for their donations.

“Some of you may have made a contribution through your place of employment, mailed in a check, or dropped one off at the office,” she added. “When we combine these contributions all together we can serve those in need in our community. Nowhere (else) can you support 26 agencies and 31 programs with one contribution and know that 99 percent of your contribution stays local.”

Dicke added that it is not too late to be a part of the 2010 campaign, and that she hopes more donors will decide to support the United Way of Van Wert County yet this year.