Thursday, January 11, 2007 12:03 AM CST
United Way within reach of ’06-’07 goal
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
MATTOON -- The United Way of Coles County has met nearly two-thirds of its 2006-07 fund drive goal, with more than $130,000 in pledges anticipated in coming weeks, a United Way official said Wednesday.
“We have $184,512 in pledges and that’s 65 percent of our goal, which is $305,000,” said Dr. Stan Huffman, United Way of Coles County president, during the organization’s annual meeting in Mattoon Public Library. “But we are anticipating $133,928 in projected donations.”
United Way has been successful in its fund drive in the past. Last fiscal year, United Way paid out $330,046 to the 31 participating agencies. United Way of Coles County Treasurer Brian Daniell said United Way has also paid out $70,250 over the past few months to the agencies for the 2007 commitment.
“Ninety percent of our payouts go to the help the agencies. That is something I’m proud of -- that we return as much money as possible to the agencies,” Daniell, a local certified public accountant, said.
The agencies assisted by Coles County United Way include: American Red Cross of Clark and Coles counties, Camp New Hope, Inc., Catholic Charities of Coles County, Charleston Area Churches Food, Charleston Baseball Association, Charleston Civic Association, Charleston Community Day Care, Charleston Girls’ Softball Association, Charleston Junior Football League, Charleston Transitional Facility, Children’s Advance Center, Children’s Assistance Fund, Coalition for People in Need, Coles County CASA, Coles County Council on Aging, Covered Bridge Girl Scouts, Cumberland Association Senior Project, CUP Prison Support Program, Eastern Illinois Foodbank, HOPE of East Central Illinois, Illinois Coalition for Community Service, Kids Hope United, Lincoln Trails Boy Scouts, Mattoon Area Family YMCA, Mattoon Area P.A.D.S., Mattoon Community Food Center, Mattoon Recreation Association, Mid-Illinois Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Peace Meal Senior Citizen Nutrition, Salvation Army of Coles and Cumberland counties and Sexual Assault Counseling and Information.
The United Way also received also an $8,945 donation from the Lumpkin Family Foundation to turn the office director position into a full-time job under a two-year plan.
“We hope that donation will help us improve the commitment the United Way can offer to the community,” Huffman said.
The organization deferred action until next meeting on election of new officers due to scheduling conflicts for committee members to finalize the list. That also postponed the formation of new committees.
Guest speaker during the annual meeting was James P. Hires, executive director of Eastern Illinois Foodbank, based in Urbana. He said the foodbank offers food to organizations in 14 Illinois counties, north to Iroquois County and south to Clay County. He said the foodbank provides food to 8,500 people in Coles County, and also assists the needy in Cumberland, Clark, Edgar and Douglas counties.
He explained the foodbank prefers cash donations because it can turn $1 into $10 of food.
“We can never eliminate hunger, but we think we can do a pretty good job of alleviating it,” Hires said. For more information on the Eastern Illinois Foodbank call 328-3663.
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com ore 238-6869.
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Fxiccxypxc wrote on May 10, 2007 11:31 AM: