United Way helps wide variety of local groups

Current member agencies of the United Way are completing their annual membership applications for 2007 in the local umbrella agency that helps a broad variety of charities.

The agencies fill out detailed applications that includes budget, program statistics, sources of funding and impact on the community.

Current member agencies in Flathead County are the American Red Cross, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Clubs of Glacier Country, Eagle Transit, Flathead CARE, Flathead Food Bank, Flathead Attention Home, Girl Scouts, Head Start, Lamplighter Volunteer Program, Literacy Volunteers, Mental Health Crisis Line, Nurturing Center, Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, Samaritan House, Sinopah House, Special Friends Advocacy Program, Summit Independent Living Center, Touch of Grace Clinic (Salvation Army) and the Violence Free Crisis Line/Abbie Shelter. The Canyon Quick Response Unit is a grantee agency of the United Way.

Services of the United Way include CASA for Kids, Disaster Care Services, Help Net-First Call for help, Leaders of Tomorrow, Teen Night and United Way Volunteer Center.

Ninety-six cents of every dollar raised for United Way supports local agency programs and services.

Local volunteers annually help determine how United Way dollars will be allocated. During last year's allocation process, 160 volunteers served on these panels, and new volunteers are always welcome. The citizen review process takes place in March.

The biggest portion of the United Way budget (22 percent) goes toward the category of Helping Youth Succeed.

Other categories for local assistance are Food and Shelter (14 percent); Non-affiliated Agencies/Donor Choice (13 percent); Strengthening Families (12 percent); Mental and Physical Disabilities (11 percent); Domestic & Crisis Intervention (8 percent); Emergency Services (6 percent); Senior Services (6 percent); Administrative and Fund-Raising (6 percent); Grants (1 percent); and Community Building (1 percent).

The United Way's fund-raising drive for 2006 is continuing through Dec. 31.

The goal is to raise more than last year's total of $843,976, the most ever raised for United Way, and to help more individuals and families in the community.

So far, the United Way effort has raised $373,769, 43 percent of this year's goal.

Early donations were boosted by Pacesetter companies and organizations that started soliciting for the United Way ahead of the public campaign.

Pacesetter companies and their campaign coordinators for 2005 are: Buffalo Hill Terrace, Carol Cockrell; CenturyTel, Terri Cottle; Daily Inter Lake, Shane Nix; Fedex; First Citizens Bank, Jerry Burley; First Interstate Bank-Evergreen, Chuck Eble; Flathead Electric Co-operative, Jerry Brobst; Flathead Valley Community College Employees, Faith Hodges, Debbie Struck; Glacier Bank, Jane Foley; Herberger's, Kat Fish; Immanuel Lutheran Corp., Carolyn Jonason; J.C. Penney, David Fox; KOFI Charity Classic, Dave Rae; School District 5 Employees, Mary Behrendt; ShopKo, Jim Hill; Target, Shawn Campbell; United Parcel Service, Mike Larson, Michelle Parmelee; United Way board and staff; Valley Bank, Gary Madison; Wal-Mart, Julie Keyes; Wells Fargo Bank, Emilie Nadeau, Val Souther.

For more information on the United Way, call 752-7266. The mailing address is P.O. Box 7217, Kalispell MT 59904.