There's still time to help United Way

The Daily Inter Lake

If mailing your United Way pledge card got lost in the holiday excitement, there's still time to participate in the 2008 combined charity fund drive.

Donations and pledges dated in 2008 are still being accepted for inclusion in the campaign totals and will go toward reaching the goal of $1 million.

The theme of this year's fund-raising campaign is "Give. Advocate. Volunteer. Live United." Last year, United Way Member Agencies helped nearly 57,000 people in need. Ninety-nine percent of all money raised helps local citizens.

Donors may choose how to donate, including cash, payroll deductions, charging to credit cards, direct billing or 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.

For more information on the United Way campaign, call 752-7266.

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 CARE, Flathead Food Bank, Flathead Youth Home, 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, Teen Night and the Violence Free Crisis Line/Abbie Shelter.

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

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

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