Posted: Thursday, Feb 26, 2009 - 09:57:55 am CST |
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By ROGER MEISSEN
The Fulton Sun
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In a little more than four months the organization reached an optimistic $250,000 fundraising goal that set a record in this county.
“When the board decided to increase the goal I knew it was a big challenge, but the people in Callaway County are so supportive and understanding of the needs of the community,” Executive Director Cathy Richey Liddle said. “It was a little challenging at some points along the way, but it's quite amazing we could achieve that goal and we're so very happy we made it.”
That goal represented a $30,000 increase from the previous year and the most money ever asked for by the organization. Board President Cathi Harris said an increased need from the agencies that it supports coupled with higher use of those agencies made it realize that a 15 percent increase in funding was a necessity.
“The economic indicators led our board to the conclusion that the need in 2009 was going to be much greater than in 2008 and the United Way had to lead the way in alleviating difficult circumstances,” Harris said. “Of course we were nervous about hitting the goal, but we also knew that Callaway County understands, supports and appreciates the work we do.”
The Feb. 13 Celebrity Waiter's banquet put the thermometer in front of the Callaway County Courthouse over the top. The event - where well-known Callaweigans dress as characters then serve dinner for donations - added about $5,400 to the till and effectively ended the United Way's campaign, which kicked off Oct. 3.
Neighboring United Way organizations based in Jefferson City and Columbia did not fare as well as the Callaway's chapter. The Central Missouri United Way fell 5 percent short of its $1.51 million goal in November and the Heart of Missouri United Way ended its campaign 2 percent short of its $3.17 million goal in December.
Recent economic uncertainty
and hardship threatened to make it difficult for nonprofit organizations
throughout the region to raise enough funds. However, that same strain
also ballooned costs and need within organizations like SERVE that
provide for the poor.
“When the agencies came and presented their information last May to ask
for each allocation we could definitely tell the services and programs
they provide were in greater need,” Richey Liddle said. “We understood
that need and increased the goal in order to provide and make all those
happen, and are so grateful that the people of Callaway County also
recognized the need and stepped up their giving to help us meet it.”
All of the funds raised in the campaign stay in Callaway County,
benefiting more than 25 percent of residents in Callaway through more
than 200 services.
The agency will fund 14 agencies in 2009, including The American Red
Cross, Boy Scouts, 4-H, the Senior Center, CARDV, Family Counseling
Center, Girl Scouts, HAVEN House, Head Start, Kingdom Projects, Kingdom
Respite Services, Mid-Missouri Legal Services, SERVE and the YMCA.
Harris said they couldn't ignore and the need from these organizations.
“The homeless situation in the county, the increased number of seniors,
the children who needed services - we were hearing these calls for help
all the time,” Harris said. “We looked at all that and thought how can
we tell anybody that we can't help with a meal out at Kingdom Projects
or we can't do this or that?
“We just took that leap of faith because the people of Callaway County
have always been so generous.”