United Way hoping to meet 2013 goal

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The theme was “Change the Story,” but for 2013 United Way of Van Wert County Campaign Chair Anita Carvajal, as least part of that story remains the same. “Our need is much greater than the goal,” she said during Wednesday’s kick-off luncheon for the upcoming campaign.

While the 24 United Way agencies seek approximately $600,000 to fund their operations, the goal for 2013 remains the same as it has the last couple of years: $500,000.

RJ Coleman, 2012 campaign chair, noted that the Van Wert County community raised $436,000 last year, approximately 87 percent of last year’s $500,000 goal, while Carvajal said she hoped the half-million-dollar goal would be reached during this year’s campaign so that member agencies receive the support they need.

“We are able to support these agencies with the support of organizations in the county that come together and help to make a better tomorrow for our community,” she noted.

Following the invocation by Major Art Barter of The Salvation Army, United Way Executive Director Deb Russell welcomed people to the kick-off luncheon, held in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.

She also was optimistic that this would be the year the $500,000 goal was reached. “We’re going full tilt, and we’re going to get to that $500,000,” she noted.

Pacesetter company representatives Roy Salisbury of National Door & Trim and Heather Germann of Teem Wholesale both talked of their companies’ efforts to meet their fundraising goal for the current campaign.

Salisbury noted that the companies, both owned by the same local businessman, held a number of fundraising efforts — mostly involving food sales — and joked that the extra calories could have a negative impact on the companies’ health insurance premiums next year.

While both companies exceeded their $2,000 fundraising goal, Germann bragged that Teem Wholesale had the final edge in the friendly rivalry, with $3,324 raised, compared to $2,966 raised by National Door & Trim.

Germann also thanked owner Tom Turnwald for matching funds raised by the companies’ combined 40 employees.

Carvajal also praised this year’s pacesetters, noting that, while both companies were small, they managed to raise more than $6,000 for the United Way campaign.

Following Coleman’s 2012 campaign review, Scott Mull, 2013 Day of Caring Committee chair, talked about this year’s Day of Caring event, which will be held Friday, September 27. This year’s event will again feature a food and blood drives, as well as business-United Way agency service project partnerships.

This year’s blood drive, which will be conducted by the American Red Cross in the Family Life Center gymnasium at Trinity Friends Church from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., has a goal of 250 units of blood, which Mull said the United Way was pushing hard to meet.

Blood donation appointments can be made by calling 800.RED.CROSS or online at www.redcrossblood.org by using the code “vwdoc”.

The goal for the food drive is 30,000 food items, which will go to benefit The Salvation Army Food Bank, Mull noted.

To help meet that goal, Mull said the United Way is having its traditional service club challenge, as well as a repeat of last year’s challenge between employees of county government agencies and downtown Van Wert businesses. A new challenge was also added this year between cross-county rival school districts Lincolnview and Crestview to see which district’s students and staff can donate the most food.

Food donation barrels are already out in county schools and other community locations.

A number of United Way agencies will benefit from projects on Saturday, September 28, including both the YMCA and YWCA, the Red Cross, Angel Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boy Scouts, Buckeye Youth, the Convoy Food Bank, Convoy Sports Center, Council on Aging, Delphos Senior Citizens Center, Family Health Care of Northwest Ohio, Habitat for Humanity, Help Me Grow, the Lincolnview Latchkey program, Middle Point Recreation Association, Ohio City Youth, Salvation Army, Vann Wert County Family & Children First, Van Wert County Victims Services, Wee Care Learning Center, West Ohio Food Bank, Willshire Youth Activities, and the Wren Ball Park Association.