United Way celebrates small victories despite struggling campaign
OXFORD – Most elementary school principals would be upset to see students running en masse in the hallways, but not Timothy McDonald. On Friday, the Oxford Primary School principal looked on with pride as roughly 150 excited children took a victory lap through the halls.
The run, which is well on its way to becoming an annual tradition, is a reward for students who participated in Miles for Quarters – an annual fundraising effort benefiting the Chenango United Way. This year was a record year, according to McDonald, both in terms of student involvement and the amount raised.
“It touches my heart,” he said. “I’m so proud of the kids.”
According to the building administrator, students earn one quarter for each year of their age by doing chores and helping out at home and at school.
“We had a record number of classes achieve 100 percent,” he reported, explaining that 11 of the school’s 21 classrooms succeeded in reaching that goal and therefore had the chance to run in the hallways.
With so many students buying in, it’s no wonder they were able to exceed the amount they raised last year.
“We have raised $634.81,” McDonald reported. Last year’s total was $472.90.
The principal attributes the success of this year’s Miles for Quarters event to the fact that the school’s extended family recognizes that needs in the area are great this year.
“The students and the parents and the teachers are really looking to support the community,” he explained.
Oxford’s tally was welcome news to Chenango United Way Executive Director Elizabeth Monaco, who admitted that this year’s campaign is “struggling.”
With two and a half weeks to go before the campaign concludes, CUW – which raises and distributes money to local non-profit agencies and organizations – has reached 78 percent, or just over $362,000, of their $465,000 goal.
With many companies struggling to meet their individual goals and residential contributions down, Monaco said this is the worst position the campaign has been in at this late date during her tenure with the organization.
It isn’t all bad news, though, she stressed. NBT recently announced that they had far exceeded their internal goals, raising a total of $25,000 for the cause.
“We’ve had a lot of smaller business that have done really well,” she added. And while donations are down from last year’s campaign, it looks like they have not lost participants.
“People are still contributing, they are just contributing at a lesser amount,” she explained.
Campaign Director Bryne Lewis Allport attributes their current shortfall to the economy, where layoffs and financial uncertainty have caused people to reduce their charitable contributions.
“I think it’s more fear than fatigue,” she said, explaining that people may be feeling uncertain about their own financial situations because of the current economic climate.
But those same factors are why this year’s campaign is more important than ever, according to Monaco. Her organization has received $765,000 in funding requests from 25 local agencies.
“Right now we’re on target to raise half of that,” she said. The ramifications for the organizations counting on their financial support could be detrimental to their ability to meet the rising needs in the community.
The less money CUW is able to allocate to these groups, Monaco explained, the more people will have to go without food and shelter, child care, prescription drugs, youth activities and other services provided by the non-profit organizations that the annual campaign helps fund.
Since many of these agencies have also been affected by state and federal budget cuts, lack of additional funding from the United Way “could potentially close (some of) their doors,” she said.
Monaco encourages people to donate to the United Way because by doing so their contribution with be multiplied by the contributions of others in the community.
“We call it the ‘Power of One,’” she explained.
For more information about the Chenango United Way or the 2010 campaign, call 334-8815 or visit www.chenangouw.org.
The run, which is well on its way to becoming an annual tradition, is a reward for students who participated in Miles for Quarters – an annual fundraising effort benefiting the Chenango United Way. This year was a record year, according to McDonald, both in terms of student involvement and the amount raised.
“It touches my heart,” he said. “I’m so proud of the kids.”
According to the building administrator, students earn one quarter for each year of their age by doing chores and helping out at home and at school.
“We had a record number of classes achieve 100 percent,” he reported, explaining that 11 of the school’s 21 classrooms succeeded in reaching that goal and therefore had the chance to run in the hallways.
With so many students buying in, it’s no wonder they were able to exceed the amount they raised last year.
“We have raised $634.81,” McDonald reported. Last year’s total was $472.90.
The principal attributes the success of this year’s Miles for Quarters event to the fact that the school’s extended family recognizes that needs in the area are great this year.
“The students and the parents and the teachers are really looking to support the community,” he explained.
Oxford’s tally was welcome news to Chenango United Way Executive Director Elizabeth Monaco, who admitted that this year’s campaign is “struggling.”
With two and a half weeks to go before the campaign concludes, CUW – which raises and distributes money to local non-profit agencies and organizations – has reached 78 percent, or just over $362,000, of their $465,000 goal.
With many companies struggling to meet their individual goals and residential contributions down, Monaco said this is the worst position the campaign has been in at this late date during her tenure with the organization.
It isn’t all bad news, though, she stressed. NBT recently announced that they had far exceeded their internal goals, raising a total of $25,000 for the cause.
“We’ve had a lot of smaller business that have done really well,” she added. And while donations are down from last year’s campaign, it looks like they have not lost participants.
“People are still contributing, they are just contributing at a lesser amount,” she explained.
Campaign Director Bryne Lewis Allport attributes their current shortfall to the economy, where layoffs and financial uncertainty have caused people to reduce their charitable contributions.
“I think it’s more fear than fatigue,” she said, explaining that people may be feeling uncertain about their own financial situations because of the current economic climate.
But those same factors are why this year’s campaign is more important than ever, according to Monaco. Her organization has received $765,000 in funding requests from 25 local agencies.
“Right now we’re on target to raise half of that,” she said. The ramifications for the organizations counting on their financial support could be detrimental to their ability to meet the rising needs in the community.
The less money CUW is able to allocate to these groups, Monaco explained, the more people will have to go without food and shelter, child care, prescription drugs, youth activities and other services provided by the non-profit organizations that the annual campaign helps fund.
Since many of these agencies have also been affected by state and federal budget cuts, lack of additional funding from the United Way “could potentially close (some of) their doors,” she said.
Monaco encourages people to donate to the United Way because by doing so their contribution with be multiplied by the contributions of others in the community.
“We call it the ‘Power of One,’” she explained.
For more information about the Chenango United Way or the 2010 campaign, call 334-8815 or visit www.chenangouw.org.
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