Officials with the United Way of Washington County have established their goal for this year's campaign and three new organizations have been added to the list of those that will receive funding.
Executive director Mary Anne Bush said the goal is $266,000, the same amount as in 2010. A total of 17 agencies will receive funding through the campaign, with the three new agencies being the Cutler Community Center, the Washington County Free Clinic and the Washington County Harvest of Hope.
"One of our agencies we've funded for several years has been the Arthritis Foundation and they decided not to apply," Bush said. That allowed more funding opportunities for others.
Karen Kumpf, executive director of the Washington County Harvest of Hope, said the organization hopes to receive about $4,000.
The organization's goal is to feed the hungry by obtaining leftover food at grocery stores, hospitals and farm markets. The organization also has the community garden program, which enables residents to have plots at no charge at various locations in the county.
"We are finding that it is very expensive to run our truck and we added our first part- time paid assistant, so we have a salary as well as truck expense and we felt we needed more income coming in," Kumpf said. "We also realize being connected with United Way was a very good public relations (move) - that puts our agency's name out there in the community."
Fact Box
If you go:
What: Event featuring former Ohio State University quarterback Craig Krenzel.
When: Sept. 17; doors open at 5 p.m., Krenzel speaks at 6 p.m.
Where: Marietta Country Club, 705 Pike St., Marietta
Cost: $30 per ticket; tickets can be purchased at the Marietta Country Club, Morgan County Learning Center, the Rock Box in Beverly and Washington State Community College
For information on how to donate to the United Way of Washington County, call 373-3333 or visit the office at 307 Putnam St., Marietta.
The EVE Inc. domestic violence shelter in Marietta, the Salvation Army in Marietta and the Parents and Friends of the Hearing Impaired are a few of the organizations that have received funding from the United Way in the past and have been approved to receive funding through the upcoming campaign.
Bush said the campaign will officially kick off next week and the agency hopes most of the funds will be collected by the end of November. She pointed out, however, that donations are accepted year round.
With a total of $234,575 raised last year, the goal was not quite met, so the agency is trying some new things in an effort to meet the goal this year.
Bush said one of the new things that will be implemented is a telephone bank. She said the location for that has not yet been established but it will likely be set up in early October.
"We would be very welcoming to anyone that would like to help out in that effort," she said.
Additionally, the agency's pamphlet has been modified.
"There's a tear off sheet in the brochure now and people can fill it out and make their pledge," she said.
There will also be letters mailed out to potential donors.
"We have quite a list, thankfully, (of those) who have contributed to the United Way campaign for years," she said.
Representatives from the agency will also be at several high school football games throughout Washington County this year, where they will give away miniature United Way footballs and promote the campaign. Bush said this was done for the first time last year and it "seemed to work well."
Additionally, there will be an event Sept. 17 at the Marietta Country Club during which former Ohio State University quarterback Craig Krenzel will speak and there will be a silent auction. There will also be tailgate food and the OSU versus Miami University football game will be shown on a big screen television.
Proceeds from that event will benefit the United Way of Washington County and Washington State Community College's scholarship program.
