By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The United Way of Ellis County is at 80 percent of its goal — a little more than $300,000 raised — with less than a month left in its campaign.
Erica Berges, executive director, said most of the employer campaigns have concluded, so any additional funds would likely come from small businesses or individuals.
"I am happy with where we are at this point at $300,000," she said, "but we always want to make our goal so we can give out as much money as we can to the agencies, because they need it."
Berges said the organization was told by national United Way officials to expect a decrease in funds raised this year.
Many individuals and businesses have experienced financial losses due to the pandemic.
The United Way is also experiencing a downward trend in donations as older workers who donated through their companies's giving campaigns retire. Berges said not only does the United Way lose the donation from that individual, but sometimes also an employer's matching gift.
Berges said the agency is trying to encourage younger workers to give, but that transition is slow.
"I know we worked really hard trying to get to those younger donors," Berges said, "so I want to continue on that. ... I think that is really where we need to get our message across to the younger generation who is just starting out in the workplace."
The goal for this year's campaign is $380,000. Berges said she had hoped the local chapter would reach at least $350,000, but she is not optimistic at this point the campaign will reach that milestone.
The local chapter raised $356,000 in its general campaign in 2019. That was supplemented by an additional $22,223 donation from the Schmidt Foundation.
Fewer donations mean fewer funds available to distribute to the United Way's partner agencies, Berges said, many of which are seeing increased need as a result of the pandemic.
"There are still a lot of people who are out there struggling," Berges said. "Even if they are back to work, there are still others who aren't or they have had to miss work because they were quarantined."
Berges said her office has been regularly referring people in need of rent, utility and food assistance to community agencies.
Fewer funds in their allocations, will mean those agencies will be able to provide fewer services and assist fewer people, Berges said.
"Some people weren't affected by this," Berges said. "I am probably one of them. We went home and worked, but nothing else changed in the dynamic of our lives. If you weren't affected, give a little bit more, because there were a lot of people who were and are still struggling."
Some of the United Way's partner agencies received funds through the CARES Act to address increased needs as a result of COVID, but agencies are still being forced to modify or cancel fundraisers as a result of the pandemic.
Agencies will learn their allocations in the second or third week of February.
In 2020, United Way of Ellis County supported 23 programs provided by 18 partner agencies
They included:
American Red Cross
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Cancer Council
Catholic Charities
Center for Life Experience
Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation
City of Ellis pool project
CASA
Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas
Early Childhood Connections
First Call for Help
Hays Area Children's Center
Hays Senior Center
KVC Wheatland Hospital
Options
Parents and Children Together
Western Kansas Association on the Concerns of the Disabled
Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center
Any donations made through the end of January will count toward the 2020 campaign.
You can contribute with a credit card online at www.liveunited.us. You can establish a monthly ACH withdrawal from your checking account. You can also donate directly by cash, check or credit card via Square at the United Way office at 205 E. Seventh (Hadley Center, Suite 111, Hays. Checks can also be mailed to PO Box 367, Hays, KS 67601.
New this year, you can sign up for the Round-Ups program. You can link your credit or debit card securely to the program. It will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar and donate the change to the United Way.
You can sign up using the donate button on the United Way home page.
All donations are tax-deductible.
If you have questions, you may call the United Way at 785-628-8281 or email [email protected].