18 YEARS OF SERVICE ENDS WITH KLEIN'S RETIREMENT

After moving office locations 13 times during her 18-year tenure with the Area Wide United Way, Executive Director Dorothy Klein is making another type of move -- into retirement.

She had hoped to quietly walk out the office door Dec. 29 and go home, but some people had other ideas. Klein will be honored at a special reception Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the St. Francis Medical Center Health and Education Center.

"When I first started, the office was just open three months of the year, from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31, and then I worked out of my home," Klein said. "We were only visible during the actual campaign."

But all that changed during the 1980s when the organization began operating full time. And after several moves and searches for a permanent home, Klein found one in 1993. And that achievement has been one of the highlights of her career.

The Area United Way office is now at 1850 Broadway.

"I'm pleased that we have our own facility," she said. "I think that it gives an impression of stability. And after moving 13 times, I was pleased to find a building of our own."

Despite the frequent moving at the United Way, Klein's dedication to her job has been a constant.

"I'm going to continue with a few things this year," she said, adding that she'll be helping with the golf tournament and doctor/lawyer softball game that raise money for United Way. "At this point, there's no calendar, no timetable and no agenda."

Klein started working at the United Way office as a volunteer. She then was hired as a secretary. In 1980, she was named the executive director.

Richard Gross, president of the board of directors, said he hated to see Klein leave. "She's not quitting altogether," he said. "She'll be like any volunteer, but a treasured volunteer."

The Area Wide United Way depends on volunteers for its annual fundraising campaign. Under Klein's leadership, the campaign goal has risen from about $150,000 to $500,000. Tuesday's reception is being combined with a victory party to celebrate reaching the $500,000 fund-raising goal set by the organization for the 1995 year.

With the increase in money raised, the Area Wide United Way has expanded the number of agencies it helps, helping fund 24 agencies in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City.

The campaign goal is set by looking at the needs of the agencies.

"You have to be realistic as to what you can raise in the area," Klein said, adding that when she first started, the organization only solicited funds during the actual campaign.

But now the group is involved in several different activities. The United Way is involved with an annual golf tournament, the YELL grants for literacy, a volunteer awards luncheon and the "Day of Caring."

Last September marked the first time the local United Way participated in the "Day of Caring" activities. Volunteers spend the day working with each of the agencies serviced by the United Way.

"They get a first-hand picture of what is going on with the agency," she said. Volunteers worked a variety of jobs from filing paperwork to serving meals to homebound senior citizens. Some already have agreed to work during the 1996 "Day of Caring."

Nancy L. Jernigan was named the new director in November and took office Jan. 1. She is formerly from Cape Girardeau and recently moved back to the area with her husband, Jeff, and children, Patrick, 9, Jeremy, 5, and Jenna, 7 months.