Sculpture donated in Hamilton
Badin vs. Coldwater
Ross vs. Winton Woods
United Way raises $150,000
Thursday, March 12, 2009
HAMILTON — The Butler County United Way and Sheriff Richard K. Jones announced Wednesday, March 11, the Campaign for Hope raised $150,000.
The sum falls short of the campaign's $200,000 goal. But the funds will save some area social service agencies from funding cuts that would have been as high as 20 percent prior to the fundraiser.
"I can't imagine what would have happened had it not been for this campaign," said local United Way President Maureen Noe. "Many of them had cut programs already. It would have been devastating because they're seeing (record) increases in the people they're serving."
Noe announced the results of the campaign at Lighthouse Food Pantry, 626 Ridgelawn Ave., one of the about 30 partner agencies funded by her agency.
Noe said key to the "success" of the campaign were Duke Energy and Jones.
Duke Energy donated $20,000 this year and gave an additional $5,000 Wednesday.
Jones, a partner in the Hope campaign, urged residents to give when the emergency fundraising effort was launched in January to erode the agency's $200,000 debt, created in part by annual donation shortfalls.
"I'm extremely proud of this community," said Jones, who was one of the first to donate. "It's been a tough campaign, but we're all in this together. ... helping the needy is all of our responsibility."
