With just over a month left in the annual fundraising campaign, the United Way of Elizabethton/Carter County is asking for help in reaching their goal.
As of Thursday afternoon, the local United Way had secured enough donations and pledges to bring them to a total of $90,548.47, according to Josh McKinney, the Community Impact Coordinator for the UWECC. The goal for this year’s campaign is $125,000, which means the agency has reached about 72 percent of their goal for the year. The agency has until the end of January 2017 to collect funds to reach their goal.
McKinney said the agency has several different campaigns currently underway at local businesses and other organizations and with the anticipated donations from those events, the local United Way is projecting they will reach the $111,000 mark.
“We feel very strongly if we can get this final push we can meet our goal,” McKinney said. “We’re positive and we’re excited but we’re not going to call it yet because we need to bridge that gap.”
The United Way fundraiser events for the campaign year are over, so now the agency is relying on donation campaigns at local businesses and organizations as well as donations from individuals to help them finish the drive.
McKinney said the local United Way is looking for area organizations or businesses who would be willing to allow United Way to share information about the agency and the community partners it supports with the employees or members and allow them to host a campaign event.
“Just give us a chance to share our information with your employees,” McKinney said.
For the current campaign year, the local United Way has seven partner agencies who will receive a monthly stipend from the agency. Those partner agencies are Assistance and Resource Ministries (ARM), the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County, Contact 211, Adult Day Services, Elizabethton Senior Center, the American Red Cross, and the Neighborhood Service Center,
The local United Way also has two community action partners — the Sequoyah Council of the Boy Scouts of America —which will each receive a one time support donation from the United Way.
The vast majority of funds raised by the local United Way remain in the local community to serve residents, McKinney said.
“We pay $1,500 a year as dues to United Way World Wide,” he said. “But every other dollar we raise stays here in our community or for organizations that serve our community.”
For more information on the United Way of Elizabethton/Carter County or to make a donation, contact Josh McKinney at 423-543-6975 or by email at director@uwayecc.org.