About a year ago, Todd Davis and Patricia Brock got a phone call asking them to come out to the PACCAR plant.
“We didn’t really know what to expect,” said Davis, the board president for the United Way of Lowndes County, as he made his way to the plant with Brock, then the United Way’s executive director. “We were pretty sure they wanted to make a donation, but we figured it might be $5,000, maybe $10,000.”
It wasn’t even a good guess, as it turns out.
“The check was for $100,000,” Davis recalled Tuesday as the United Way held its fundraising campaign kickoff at Lion Hills Center. “We were in shock.”
This year, United Way has set the same fundraising goal as last year — $550,000. And, as was the case last year, PACCAR has provided another great start with another $100,000 contribution.
“Last year, we finished our campaign about $50,000 short of the funding total requested by the agencies we support,” said Danny Avery, the UWLC’s new executive director. “That means we weren’t able to meet all the needs that were requested. We are supporting 20 organizations, including 18 regular agencies that we fund each year. In the first six months of the year, we provided services to more than 20,000 individuals. There are 59,710 people living in Lowndes County. That means almost 38 percent of the county’s residents received some sort of assistance from a United Way-supported agency.”
Mississippi University for Women President Jim Borsig, the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s luncheon, said his long involvement with United Way, which dates back to his childhood in Jackson, has confirmed his belief in the organization.
“As a kid, I was in the Boys Club, back before it was a Boys and Girls Club, and Boy Scouts of America, both of which were supported by The United Way. Since then, I’ve served on two United Way boards. Over the time, I’ve seen the innovative way the United Way has addressed problems. A lot of times, a problem emerges and maybe it doesn’t fit into a box. The United Way’s ability to work through its agencies to meet those needs, often in a creative way, is something that’s especially important.”
Borsig said the United Way’s contributions go well beyond funding. The organization serves as a facilitator and coordinator among the agencies it supports, as well as being a clearinghouse for volunteers.
“Community service is one of the value of our university and we encourage our students to be involved,” Borsig said. “The United Way gives our students an opportunity to engage with the community in ways they might not otherwise have.”
Avery said most of United Way’s funding comes through payroll enrollment programs offered by area employers.
“We believe if every employee would commit to contributing an hour’s income per month, what we call the ‘Fair Share,’ we would meet our goal,” Avery said. “That’s very important. There are always needs in the community, and every year new needs emerge. Our ability to meet those needs is really based on the generosity of the community.”
Agencies and programs supported by United Way of Lowndes County funding:
■ American Red Cross
■ Boys and Girls Club
■ Boy Scouts of America (Pushmataha Area Council)
■ CAFB Youth Center
■ Contact Helpline
■ Dial-A-Bus and Home Delivered Meals
■ Father’s Child Ministry
■ 4-Clubs of Lowndes County
■ Girls Scouts Heart of the South
■ Great Columbus Learning Center
■ Helping Hands
■ Recovery House
■ Last House on the Block
■ Safe Haven
■ Sally Kate Winters Family Services
■ The Salvation Army
■ YMCA
■ Volunteer Columbus
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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