United Way drive begins

Volunteers raised a banner, their goal and community awareness Thursday when they announced the United Way of Southeast Missouri's $1.32 million campaign goal for the 2007 campaign at the kickoff luncheon.

This year's amount is $200,000 more the 2006 campaign goal of $1,120,000.

The campaign's monetary objective was established differently this year than in the past, said Nancy Jernigan, executive director for the United Way of Southeast Missouri. The 2007 goal came from a needs analysis that asked the agencies how much they would need in the upcoming year, rather than company estimates of what they think they will be able to contribute.

Jernigan said the United Way implemented new programs this year and hopes to not only help with problems in the community, but also help with the cause of those problems. The additional $200,000 being raised will fund those efforts.

"We want to give the agencies we've been working with the funds to address key issues," Jernigan said.

The United Way asked its community agencies what they thought it would take to provide the needed support to families. Then they asked companies what they thought their contribution could be. The result was the $1.32 million goal.

Jernigan was confident that amount can be raised. The 2006 campaign exceeded its goal by $690,000.

"This community has always been about, you tell them what the need is and they respond," she said.

Donations are expected to come mainly from employee contributions at the 150 companies the United Way already works with. Employees can sign up to give through payroll deduction.

"That's really what put United Way on top," Jernigan said. "It makes it so much easier to give."

The organization added an incentives sweepstakes in which a new donor can donate $1 a week or a returning donor can donate $52 above last year's contribution and be entered into a prize drawing. Up for grabs are a grocery spree, free gas and a plasma television, among other things.

The 2007 campaign also includes four new donor tiers that each come with different rewards, like a club card that earns the donor discounts at select places. Jernigan said these higher brackets will target individuals in the community "with the capacity to give big dollars."

A "Blitz Day" in September is expected to generate funds from local small businesses that do not already participate.

The programs will now include addressing a need for parent participation in their child's success. Jernigan said programs already exist to help children succeed, but the struggles of parents have been left out of the equation.

"They're worried about feeding the kids. They're worried about paying the rent," she said. "They don't have time to worry about parent education or PTA."

One program that has been expanded to encompass parent education is the Life Initiative program, which helps children at risk of failing in school. The past few years the Life Initiative has only been in three locations in Cape Girardeau. This year it will add five locations in Jackson.

charris@semissouiran.com

335-6611, extension 246