Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
January 25, 2007 issue
High Country United Way Inches Closer to $500,000 Goal
Story by David Anderson, Jr.
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” This simple statement made decades ago by Winston Churchill hangs, scribbled on a note card, on the back wall of the High Country United Way office. Although surrounded by an array of flyers, memos, letters and invoices in the small space, this message shines through like a guiding light as the United Way approaches its local fundraising goal of $500,000 for 2006-07. This year’s campaign, which ends March 31, has raised $458,000 for United Way’s local partner agencies so far.
The United Way board has increased the annual fundraising goal more than $100,000 a year for the past three years, and the goals have been met and exceeded each time. Jenny Miller, executive director of High Country United Way, is confident this year will follow suit.
“I think that’s very telling of this community,” Miller said. “There is a lot of giving in this community.”
As financing has increased, so have needs within the community. Miller cited the area’s rapidly diminishing middle class as the source for this increased need.
“We used to get four or five calls a week needing help, be it with rent, with food, with electric, with anything,” Miller said. “We get that a day now.”
In most cases when people contact United Way for help, they are referred to the partner agency that specializes in meeting the caller’s particular needs. Sometimes Miller is able to refer callers to individuals within the community who are anxious to help.
“We don’t turn people away here,” she added.
Various fundraising promotions take place throughout the year, often with the support of local businesses. Local photographer Dale Marie Shelton is currently offering such a promotion, a portrait sitting, along with a classic 5 by 7 photograph, for $50 at her studio located at 8439 Valley Boulevard, along the U.S. 321 Bypass in Blowing Rock next to the new United Community Bank. All proceeds will be donated to High Country United Way.
Miller said that last year this promotion raised about $500. She expects it to bring in at least $1,500 this time.
“As much as we give to the community, the community gives back one hundred times,” she said.
A new venture initiated this year through United Way is the High Country Women’s Fund. This unique program was designed to provide financial assistance to women and girls in nearly any crisis situation, whether awarding scholarships to working mothers trying to get an education or providing shelter and food to a woman leaving an abusive relationship. The program is designed to be flexible.
“We hit a vein in the community with women giving to women,” Miller said.
Currently, $92,835 has been raised for the fund for the next three years.
A unique aspect of this program is that the donors decide how the money will be spent. Any woman who pledges $1,200 per year for at least three years can become a women’s fund director. Currently 26 women are on the board.
While Miller expects fundraising goals to continue to increase in the future, she said the 2007-08 goal will most likely reflect a smaller increase than in the past three years.
“We don’t want to put our sights too high too fast,” she said.
The United Way board will set next year’s campaign goal at their meeting in May.
High Country United Way is an umbrella organization that funds 28 unique goodwill organizations in Watauga and Avery counties. For more information or to make a donation, call 828-265-2111