UNITED WAY TO DISBURSE MORE THAN $392,000

The Area Wide United Way announced allocations of more than $392.000 to 23 community service agencies Thursday.

The allocations will be made from the $503,818 collected during the United Way's 1995 fund-raising campaign. The goal for the campaign was $500,000.

"We're very, very pleased," said Donna Hanschen, who chaired the 1995 campaign. "I couldn't be more proud of what everybody's done."

Hanschen gave a breakdown of categories within the fund-raising campaign: In the corporate fund, donations of $178,171 topped the goal of $177,000; employee donations totalled $268,556, with a goal of $269,999; professional donations totalled $18,005, with a goal of $19,000; patron donations totalled $22,204, topping the goal of $22,000; and special-events donations totalled $16,881, topping the $13,000 goal.

Allocations for 1996 include American Red Cross, $62,500; Association of Retarded Citizens, $35,000; Boy Scouts, $35,000; cancer research, $3,000; Cape County 4-H Council, $2,500; Cape Senior Center, $10,000; CASA, $2,500; Cape Girardeau Civic Center, $35,000; Easter Seal Society, $22,000; FISH, $3,000; Gibson Recovery Center, $35,000; Girl Scouts-Otahki Council, $35,000; Habitat for Humanity, $5,000; Hoover Eldercare Center, $6,500; Jackson Ministerial Alliance, $2,000; Jackson R-2 Children's Fund, $2,500; Jackson Senior Center, $10,000; Lutheran Family Services, $15,000; Radio Information Service, $2,000; Safe House for Women, $17,500; Salvation Army, $45,000 USO, $800; and VIP Industries, $6,000.

Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the Area Wide United Way, said it was important to look at what $52 -- "just a dollar a week" -- could mean for clients served by the agencies.

"At VIP, $52 would provide 17 units of transportation for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled," she said. "At the Salvation Army, $52 would provide two nights' housing for a homeless person or 17 basketballs for the youth."

"This is why we do what we do," she said. "This is why you're here."

Agency allocations totalled $392,800. The remainder will be used for administrative costs and for establishing a reserve fund to help in the event of emergencies or to help cover allocations should the 1996 campaign fall short of its goal, Jernigan said.

Allocations are based on requests from each agency, she said. "This year we were able to give everyone an increase, or at least what they asked for," she said. "Some of them didn't even ask for increases."

"1995 was a very successful year," said outgoing board president Richard Gross. Pete Poe took over as the new board president during Thursday's annual meeting.

Dorothy Klein, who retired as executive director Dec. 31, reported the United Way's golf tournament and doctor-lawyer softball game "were very successful, and they will be repeated in 1996."

The United Way also worked with FEMA, the YELL program, Community Caring Council, Council of Community Agencies and Americorps in 1995, Klein reported, and began the process of choosing torch-bearers for the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay, which will pass through Cape Girardeau Memorial Day.

The first Day of Caring event was "was successful, and I do feel it will continue to grow," Klein said.

Outgoing board members Charles Daniel, Joe Doner, David Smith and Don Strohmeyer were recognized for their service, and new board members Jackie Griffith and Narvol Randol Jr. were appointed. Randol also will serve as the 1996 campaign chairman.