Area United Way breaks $1 million pledge level

Area Wide United Way fund raisers are crediting early planning and a particularly caring community with breaking the $1 million pledge barrier for the first time in the organization's 49-year history.

The public announcement came Friday. The goal of the 2003 campaign was $935,000, a total of $990,773 had been raised in time for the group's Dec. 3 victory party, and the current total is $1,000,545.

Campaign chairman Don Fisher said discussions about goals with the top 20 donors at the campaign's beginning were key. The companies also allowed individual employees time to serve on the United Way's campaign cabinet and come up with strategies to encourage co-workers to give.

Most of the organization's money, which is distributed to 32 local agencies in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties, comes from payroll deductions.

"When times are hard, this community seems to rise to the occasion," Fisher said. "This is what's happened. The people we work with and go to church with are the finest group of people I've ever been around."

Executive director Nancy Jernigan said the extra money, still coming in, will be devoted to more one-time grants to address special needs: affordable housing, youth substance abuse, assistance to low income families and public transportation. The organization is in the process of evaluating these needs and the success of programs designed to address them.

The board of directors will start making those decisions in the coming weeks, she said. The 2004 campaign will begin in March.