For the second year in a row, United Way of Onslow County exceeded its annual campaign goal.
With a final campaign total of $600,463 the organization surpassed the 2009-10 fundraising goal of $600,000 set in September.
With the monies raised during the campaign, the United Way provides funding to 14 partner Onslow County agencies that collectively operate 35 programs in the community and touch the lives of about 41,000 people.
“Despite the economic times, United Way of Onslow County had a very successful campaign,” said Kathy Wangerin, president of financing for the county’s United Way. “We thank you all who dedicated yourselves to the campaign. We’re already working on next year’s campaign to do bigger and better things.”
United way of Onslow County will begin receiving applications in March from area nonprofits seeking funding for their programs. United Way will begin funding the programs that meet their requirements in July.
One of the partner agencies that received funding from United Way during the 2009 campaign year was Carobell, a vocational rehabilitation program that provides developmentally disabled individuals in the community with job training and skills.
United Way funds allowed Carobell to increase staffing to meet the needs of individuals participating in the program and better prepared the program to accept new clients, said Mary Butts, director of programs at Carobell.
Another local organization that benefits from United Way fundraising is Onslow County’s Foundation for Hospice, which provides grief education, support groups and community outreach as well as enhances the qualify of life of terminally ill persons by providing medicines, equipment services and other items.
“We have very, very little administrative costs for the organization. Most of (the United Way funds) go for direct assistance to the population that we serve,” said Cynthia Hodges, board member at the foundation. “We’re not actually a hospice provider. We provide financial resources and assistance to anyone who is eligible for hospice service, even if they’re not necessarily in a hospice program.”
United Way funds have been used through the Foundation for Hospice to purchase groceries and medications, pay utility bills and help with funeral and burial expenses, Hodges said.
“If a person is terminal and they want to spend a weekend at the beach, then occasionally we’ll do that,” she said. “We’re pretty wide open. The board will consider pretty much anything as a person might need it in their end-of-life illness.”
In addition to helping terminally ill people, the foundation assists their families and others who have experienced a loss.
“We pretty much try to be the support system as far as grief and loss are concerned in Onslow County,” Hodges said. “We also support military families who have experienced a military loss.”
For more information on United Way of Onslow County and its partner agencies visit www.unitedwayonlsow.org.
Contact Molly DeWitt at 910-219-8455 or mdewitt@freedomenc.com.
This article appeared in the Jacksonville Daily News on Friday, January 29, 2010 and was written by Molly DeWitt
