United Way effort aims to raise $1 million

The 2007 United Way fund drive officially kicks off Monday, and for the first time has a goal of $1 million.

That goal is $80,000 more than last year's total, which was the highest amount ever raised by the United Way for local helping agencies.

The theme of this year's fundraising campaign is "Reaching New Heights: Together We Matter."

Donations benefit the United Way and its 26 member agencies in Flathead County, serving thousands of local individuals and families with a variety of needs.

Last year, United Way member agencies helped nearly 52,000 people in need.

Ninety-nine percent of all money raised stay in local communities to help local citizens.

Current member agencies are the American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boy Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs of Glacier Country, Eagle Transit, First Call for Help-Net, Flathead Attention Home, Flathead CARE, Flathead Food Bank, Girl Scouts, Head Start, Literacy Volunteers, Mental Health Crisis Line, Nurturing Center, Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, Samaritan House, Sinopah House, Special Friends Advocacy Program, Summit Independent Living Center, and the Violence Free Crisis Line/Abbie Shelter.

Services of the United Way include CASA for Kids, Disaster Care Services, Leaders of Tomorrow, Teens in Crisis, and the United Way Volunteer Center.

The United Way also supports the following emergency food and shelter programs in Northwest Montana: Bread Basket, Community Kitchen, Community Harvest Food Bank, DOVES, Helping Hands, Hot Springs Food Pantry, Lake County Mental Health Center, Libby Food Pantry, Lincoln County Crisis Solutions, Mission Valley Food Pantry, Neighbors in Need, Northwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry, Salvation Army Feeding Program, Thompson Falls Food Pantry and Troy Food Pantry.

Donors may choose how to donate, including cash, payroll deductions, charging to a credit card, direct billing, or through automatic bank transfers. Donors also may designate which member agencies or non-affiliated partner agencies or the Montana Shares Federation they want to receive their gift.

Local volunteers determine where the donations are spent. Last year, more than 100 community members participated in the local Citizens Review Panel process to allocate funding and set the monetary goal.

For more information on making a difference in our community through supporting the United Way, call 752-7266.