LOCAL AUTONOMY MAKES UNITED WAY AGENCIES WORK

The United Way is a national fund-raising organization that works because it focuses on the needs of individual communities.

United Ways across the country last year raised in excess of $3 billion. The local campaign under way this month has a goal of $470,000.

Dorothy Klein, executive director of the local Area Wide United Way, said each organization is designed to meet the needs of its community. Money is raised locally and spent with local charitable organizations.

"We operate under some national guidelines," she said. "But not all United Ways operate exactly alike. For example, the United Way in Cape Girardeau and Jackson cannot work the same way that the United Way in New York operates."

United Ways raise money in the nation's smallest communities and in its largest cities.

"In the state, United Way agencies also work in Kansas City and Springfield and in Sikeston and Kennett," Klein said.

The local autonomy is what makes United Way agencies work, said Klein. "I think everyone knows what to expect from their community and what their community needs," she said. "We all have different types of agencies."

The Area Wide United Way is governed by a volunteer board of directors made up of people from Cape Girardeau and Jackson. The board president is Craig Felzien of Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.

The board decides which agencies will be accepted into United Way for funding. The board is also responsible for allocating funds to each agency.

Klein said, "They are also responsible for making sure money is properly spent."

The board also sets the goal for each year's fund-raising campaign and selects community members to head up the campaign.

This year the Area Wide United Way has set a goal of $470,000. The campaign chairman is Harry Rediger of JCPenney.

The United Way also strives to keep overhead costs low; It spends only 6 percent for salaries and overhead.

Half of all the money raised through the newspaper campaign will be donated to the United Way, but those funds will not count toward the campaign total.

Money raised through the YELL for Newspaper campaign will be allocated to a special fund for literacy programs.

The Area Wide United Way funds 25 community agencies: They are:

American Heart Association.

American Lung Association's Camp Superkids.

American Red Cross.

Association for Retarded Citizens.

Boy Scouts.

Cancer Research.

Cape Senior Center.

Cape Girardeau County 4-H Council.

Cape Girardeau Civic Center.

Easter Seal Society's Early Learning Center.

Family Learning Center.

Gibson Recovery Center.

Habitat for Humanity.

Jackson Ministerial Alliance.

Jackson R-2 Children's Fund.

Jackson Senior Center.

Lutheran Family and Children's Services.

Mental Health Association.

Otahki Girl Scouts.

Professional Black Men's Youth Program.

Radio Information Service.

Safe House for Women Inc.

Southeast Eldercare Center.

Salvation Army.

USO.