Photos of a few of Effingham’s “Everyday Heroes” lined the common space at Effingham Career Academy, as many of them gathered for this year’s United Way of Effingham campaign kickoff Wednesday.
The United Way of Effingham’s Campaign committee, along with Paul Mongin and Brandee Gordy, who are this year’s loaned associates from Georgia Pacific, held their newspapers high with the good news of their fundraising goal: $280,000.
“Effingham has a history of always meeting or exceeding their campaign goal and based on the enthusiasm we saw here today, I think their well on their way,” said Gregg Schroeder, president and CEO of United Way of the Coastal Empire.
This goal is $10,000 more than the 2010 goal. In 2010, the Effingham campaign surpassed that goal by $40,000. This would make up a nice portion of the UWCE’s entire campaign for its community fund with its goal of $8,255,555 announced last week in Savannah.
Bonnie Dixon, executive director of the Effingham office, said that they established their goal by asking the major employers in the county what their expectations were and then adding a little more to it, “because we know that the community has always been so giving and I think we’re going to make it.”
The Pacesetters for Effingham County, who had their campaigns during the summer, were Georgia Power and the Effingham County Board of Education.
Georgia Power’s campaign chair Bobby Tippins announced that between the Springfield office and Plant McIntosh the company raised $14,298.
The Board of Education’s United Way campaign, chaired by Dayle Burns, raised $77,226. Effingham County High School topped the schools as the greatest amount collected at $8,826, and the Effingham Career Academy earned the Caring Cup, given to the school with the greatest per capita giving, for a second year, with Ashley Kieffer as the school’s campaign chair. They raised a total of $2,134, or $118 per employee.
“Our school system never ceases to amaze me,” said Superintendent Randy Shearouse. “They are everyday heroes, and they’re always willing to give when they see a need. As we have things that happen in the community they always step up.”
Loaned associate Mongin said that the campaign is already off to a great start with meetings with employers already set up for the next week.
“We’re trying to mobilize the caring power in the community: That’s our mission statement,” he said. “We want to educate people about what’s really going on in the county.
“In Effingham we have a 15,000 square foot facility available to facilitate these services. Once people realize what vast array of services we have, then people will get more interested in our cause.”
There are more than 100 programs supported in the four counties that make up UWCE, more than 30 of which are found in Effingham County. These funds support programs available at the UW of Effingham Service Center in Rincon include the Food OutReach Co-op of Effingham , Hammers Hearts and Hansds and LIFE, Inc. Others that the UWCE supports in Effingham are America’s Second Harvest Food Bank, Effingham County Victim Witness Assistance Program and the Treutlen House.
Dixon said United Way monitors the money so that it goes to those most in need. She said that if you specify a program, there will be a 5 percent administrative fee, but if you give to the community fund, letting United Way distribute the money, there is not administrative fee.
“But 5 percent is nothing compared to what other non-profits take,” she said. “The government allows 40 percent of every dollar donated to go for administrative fees, and most United Ways that don’t have an endowment are collecting 10-20 percent for administrative fees.”
She said that she has complete faith in Effingham meeting its campaign goals because in her 22 years at Effingham United Way there has never been a need that’s gone unmet.
“I have never had a need that wasn’t met in this community by either calling someone, making it publicly known, people just step up to the plate,” said Dixon. “Effingham is remarkable for that. I feel fortunate to live here. I feel even more fortunate to be employed by United Way in such a giving community. It really means a lot.”
