United Way campaign begins

Posted 10/03/03, by Tamara Steinert

Goal is $220,000, or 20% of Upper Valley campaign

Dartmouth's United Way fundraising campaign will kick off Oct. 13, marking three decades of College participation in the annual effort.

Agencies funded by United Way directly affect many members of the College community, who are both recipients of services and volunteers at United Way agencies, said Bill Hochstin, chair of the campaign.

"We've got about 75,000 people in the Upper Valley. Out of that population, about 25,000 people - one in three - received direct services from United Way agencies last year," said Hochstin. With demand for services up and private and governmental support of social service agencies on the wane, he said the College's contributions will be particularly important this year.

The College community's contributions to the overall Upper Valley campaign typically account for about 20 percent of the total amount raised. The goal for this year's campus campaign is $220,000, with the United Way of the Upper Valley aiming for $1.02 million. Last year the campus contributed $211,657, with 974 people, or 20 percent of the faculty and staff participating.

For people who want to make sure that their contributions are used wisely, the United Way is a good philanthropic choice, Hochstin said.

"The funds that go to United Way stay local, and the overhead charges are very low because of all the volunteer help and donations of personal time," said Hochstin. Furthermore, an annual needs assessment performed by the Upper Valley United Way allows proactivity in addressing emerging issues.

More than $3.4 million has been raised through the College's United Way campaigns since they were established on campus in 1973. There is also a separate student campaign, chaired this year by Mary Reynolds '05, Katherine Heyman '05 and Nicole Valco '05.

- By Tamara  Steinert

United Way's Work

A snapshot of some services provided by Upper Valley United Way agencies last year:

• Visiting Nurse Association Home Health Aides made 64,197 visits to approximately 1,200 patients.
• After participation in Child and Family Services' Violence Prevention Program, bullying incidents in one Upper Valley elementary school dropped by more than 85 percent.
• Listen's Food Pantry distributed 4,858 emergency food bags.
• Headrest's Hotline responded to approximately 7,000 crisis calls from Upper Valley residents.
• United Way-supported senior citizens' programs provided more than 22,000 "meals on wheels"; area senior citizens centers provided another 54,000 meals.