big results for local community
By Steph Wiechmann
United Way of Lexington-Rockbridge County had expected a drop in contributions due to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. However, the 2005-2006 campaign raised 88 percent of its fundraising goal.
Pamela Luecke, campaign director of United Way, said at the annual meeting Feb. 21 that $212,535 was raised during the 2005-2006 campaign, which ended in February. She said that with Hurricane Katrina fundraisers going on in all areas of the country, United Way was pleased with the level of contributions it received.
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Local agencies funded by United Way The Arc of Rockbridge - a
support facility for families with mentally handicapped members
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United Way had expected many of its
contributors to donate directly to the relief efforts on the Gulf Coast.
“People only have so much money they can give to charitable needs,” said
Luecke.
LauraJane Wilson, executive director of United Way, credits her
dedicated board for the success of this year’s campaign.
“Our campaign chair, Pamela Luecke, was amazing,” said Wilson. “She was
very organized, helped me stay focused, and came up with some brilliant
ideas. Actually, the whole board was very supportive and helpful. We
have a very actively involved board that is very committed to United Way
and helping our community.”
Thirteen local agencies benefit financially from United Way’s efforts.
These agencies provide vital services to the residents of Rockbridge
County. “These are agencies that hold the community together,” said
Luecke.
It is important for United Way to reach its fundraising goal every year.
If fundrasing efforts fall short, said Luecke, agency allocations must
be cut. The $240,000 goal for "Campaign 2005" was set last spring after
United Way’s agency reviews were completed.
Wilson said each agency supported by United Way must complete a lengthy
application requesting funding every year. A community review team is
then sent to interview the agency and report back to an allocations
committee. The allocations committee then recommends a fundraising goal
to the United Way board.
United Way ensures that each agency uses its funding to directly benefit
the Rockbridge community. “We make sure that every dollar is spent well
and is spent in this community,” said Luecke.
The 2005-2006 campaign was Wilson’s first campaign. United Way raised 76
percent of its $255,000 goal for "Campaign 2004." Because of employee
changes, fundraising efforts struggled in 2004, said Wilson.
“By the time I was hired in February 2005, things had really been let
go,” said Wilson. “I had to learn and fix at the same time. Our Board of
Directors was extremely helpful in this endeavor. Unfortunately, the
campaign for that year had already suffered.”
The Talking Book Center is one of the agencies that the United Way
supports. This service, based in Staunton, provides free books and
magazines-on-tape to those who are visually impaired or have a reading
disability.
Oakley Pearson, director of The Talking Book Center, said a Lexington
patron, who is blind, uses the service to receive Books on Tape and an
easy-to-use cassette player through the mail. The man has limited
mobility because of a stroke and enjoys reading the books provided by
the service. “In 2004, he read 287 books,” said Pearson.
United Way, like other charitable organizations, gets about 80 percent
of its donations from large gifts, said Luecke. However, United Way also
receives thousands of smaller donations.
“We appreciate the big givers,” said Luecke. “But, we have thousands of
other people giving, even if it’s just $10.”
Though the campaign is officially ended, Wilson said that United Way
accepts donations year-round.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisor: Prof. Doug Cumming
Editing supervisor: Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd