United Way puts dollars, volunteers to work locally

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In 2010, the organization will begin a Campus United Way at Southeast Missouri State University to connect college students with local volunteer opportunities.

Increasing the graduation rate at local high schools in Southeast Missouri is one of many efforts by the United Way that will provide benefits to individuals and the community, resulting in a significant economic impact for the area over the years.

The cause is one of the new focuses of the United Way, an organization that has helped the people of Southeast Missouri unite with resources to promote successful lives for 57 years.

According to the United Way of Southeast Missouri's mission statement, the organization serves as the leader in uniting people and resources to build a stronger and healthier community. The United Way is focused on strengthening families with an emphasis on education, income and health and a strategy of engaging more people in solutions through volunteerism.

United Way

The communities of Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City all benefit from the work of the United Way.

The organization relies on fundraising in the community to do good works, and the impact of those dollars is more focused on getting at the root causes while the organization continues to help with basic needs such as food and shelter in response to the current economy, said Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri.

Over the past five years, the organization has changed its business model from a focus on fundraising to a focus on having the most community impact.

During the economic downturn, the United Way is putting an emphasis on volunteering.

"Volunteerism is the best way to contribute to your community's health and we are working hard to understand critical issues in the community and implement research-based best practices that exist to address them, engaging as many sectors and individuals in working on solutions as possible," Jernigan said.

The United Way promotes volunteerism by finding ways to more easily connect people with existing volunteer opportunities.

Another way the organization is working together with the community is to emphasize collaboration among existing service providers to make the most of economic benefits for the organization and the providers.

In 2004, the United Way received a Service Industry of the Year Award from the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. The United Way is committed to fundraising efforts, and has raised over $21 million to provide health and human service programming since its introduction to the area.

In 2010, the organization will begin a Campus United Way at Southeast Missouri State University to connect college students with local volunteer opportunities.

In April, the United Way will launch an awareness campaign about the importance of quality early health care, and throughout the year will present and implement strategies to improve local graduation rates. The organization is recipient of grants focused on the promotion of both early care and parental engagement with high school students.

Jernigan said Winston Churchill's saying "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give" is the best way to sum up the work of the United Way of Southeast Missouri.

The United Way offices are located at 430A Broadway in Cape Girardeau.