Helping the United Way Helps Us All

These are tight economic times for the country, and there’s nothing different here in Central Virginia.

Companies have had layoffs, imposed furloughs and salary cuts and frozen wages. Some businesses have closed, unable to turn a profit when customers just aren’t there. Families have had to cut back on their expenditures, especially in light of rising fuel and electricity costs.

Yet most of us are making it OK. Not great, certainly, but OK.

There are a lot of people, however, who are not. And a lot of them turn to the social agencies of Central Virginia for assistance.

Those social agencies have costs of their own, and they turn to United Way of Central Virginia.

And United Way turns to each of us.

In the fall of 2008, the local United Way set an ambitious fundraising goal of $4 million to distribute to its 29 partner agencies. Unfortunately, in the middle of the campaign, the global economy basically went into a tailspin. The result was that United Way missed its goal by almost $700,000.

This year, after deep cuts in United Way’s operations, the drive’s fundraising goal is $3.6 million, again with the vast majority going to partner agencies.

With about three weeks left in the campaign, there’s still a fair amount to be raised, about $400,000 as of Feb. 1.

The money goes to a variety of agencies that impact the lives of thousands of Central Virginia residents.

Agencies such as the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, which provides medical care to people who otherwise couldn’t afford it; Crisis Line of Central Virginia, which is there 24 hours a day, every day, for people facing potentially overwhelming trauma in their lives; the Jubilee Family Center, which provides a range of services and activities for under-privileged families and children in Lynchburg; and Meals on Wheels, which provides nutritious meals to the elderly throughout the region, allowing many to remain in their homes and maintain a degree of independence.

Those are just four of the more than two dozen social service agencies that partner with United Way of Central Virginia and depend on each of us for their continued operation.

According to Marie Martin, the executive director of United Way of Central Virginia, calls for assistance have increased dramatically this year. Calls to United Way’s referral line have increased 50 percent.

“We can’t appreciate enough how this community comes together and helps everyone, but the needs out there are increasing,” Martin told The News & Advance. “We are not going to be able to meet these needs unless we are able to raise more funds.”

Businesses throughout Central Virginia have held workplace drives for United Way, many increasing their contributions over last year. Babcock & Wilcox and its employees increased their donations to $261,000. Bank of the James nearly doubled its corporate donation through a partnership with Williams Gas Co., which matched proceeds from the bank’s golf tournament.

Explore United Way of Central Virginia’s Web site, www.unitedwaycv.org, to learn about the agency’s efforts to meet the social needs of the community.

You may think there’s little chance you would ever need the services of United Way or one of its partner agencies. If you’re lucky, you won’t. But let’s do all we can to make sure they’re available to those who do.