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1:46 PM Friday, November 6, 2009

When the need is the greatest, the supply is often less.

That’s the reality with which the Butler County United Way is again dealing this year. More people need and are using the services supported by your donation to United Way.

The economic recession — that has deeply affected families and businesses all over this nation — has driven up the demand for the services provided by nonprofit benevolent agencies supported by United Way. At the same time, economic distress — high unemployment rates, home foreclosures — has inhibited the ability of many families to contribute to United Way in the same manner that they have during better times.

That’s the reason we are asking you to consider making a donation — or perhaps a larger one — to the Butler County United Way this fall to help the organization meet its annual fundraising campaign goal of $2.45 million.

That goal represents what was raised last year — after an eight-week emergency fund-raising effort raised an additional $200,000 — so United Way officials are being practical about their expectations, even though demand for services has increased. The 2007 and 2008 campaigns fell short of their goals — $3 million and $2.6 million, respectively.

Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix, this year’s campaign chair, says the campaign already anticipates a $230,000 gap that must be made up since 2008. That figure represents previously donated dollars that will not be available this year because of corporate mergers, business closings and other financial hardships.

In the meantime, demand for services supported by the United Way campaign have continued to rise, as the recession took its toll in Butler County. Consider the plight of these agencies that rely on United Way donations:

• Lighthouse Ministries served 149 families at its food pantry on Oct. 24, including 29 new families visiting for the first time. On Oct. 17, 43 new families were served.

• Big Brothers/Big Sisters’ waiting list has increased by 24.3 percent, while the number of volunteer inquiries has dropped 6 percent. The number of inquiries from parents wanting to enroll their children are up 22.3 percent.

• LifeSpan reports that requests for elderly services are on the rise, while Clinical Counseling served 6 percent more clients in 2009’s third quarter than in the same period in 2008. Meanwhile, Consumer Credit Counseling Services saw a whopping 86 percent increase in third-quarter 2009 vs. the same period in 2008.

“The reality is that government dollars have reduced human and social programs up to 30 percent,” Nix said. “United Way is the second largest human and social service funder in the community.”

Those percentages are your neighbors in the cities of Hamilton and Fairfield, and the townships of Fairfield, Liberty, Morgan, Ross, St. Clair, Wayne and West Chester. Those are the areas served by Butler County United Way.

The mission of the United Way is the same — making our communities stronger and better places to live and to work — and the many partnering agencies that rely on United Way’s vital funding are the same. Only the need has grown.

There are a variety of ways to donate, including at your workplace. For more information on ways to donate, you can visit www.bc-unitedway.org, or just drop off or mail a donation to Butler County United Way, 323 N. Third St., Hamilton, OH 45011.

Only a few weeks remain in this year’s fundraising campaign. If you are among the fortunate who have weathered this economic storm so far, we ask again that you consider the plight of others who have not. Don’t let them down. Give to Butler County United Way.

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When United Way stops using employers to almost force contributions on their employees and stop donating money to gay rights and anti-gun people maybe they can gain back some donations.

Carmen
3:11 PM, 11/9/2009

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