The Miami County United Way moved a little closer to its goal Tuesday, raising almost $25,000 during its first telethon event.
The two-hour call in drive – broadcast live on 101.9 MiTunes with the hospitality room sponsored by Beef O Brady’s and Mayor Jim Walker and Prosecutor Bruce Embrey serving as masters of ceremony – saw the United Way’s total jump from about $165,000 to more than $191,000, up from 60 to 68 percent of their $280,000 goal.
“It was a good, good evening. It was well attended, the lines were ringing. That was the main thing – to know there are people out there listening who care,” said Executive Director Debi Wallick. “Before, it was easier to say ‘they’re not going to miss my campaign contribution.’ It finally hit home, we need everyone’s help.”
Embrey and Walker repeatedly stressed that it doesn’t take a lot of money to make a difference, but a little bit from a lot of people will get the job done. Embrey also said all the money stays in Miami County.
“For the cost of one soda a week to help somebody is making an investment in the community,” Walker said, later adding, “We want to change things in our community. We all need to get involved in that.”
United Way Campaign Chair Mike Kuepper said he was confident people of Miami County would come through to take care of those in need.
“Our community is judged by how we take care of the community around us. … As a community, how strong we are is how we help our neighbors,” he said.
Throughout the evening, representatives from agencies that receive United Way funding discussed how critical the services they provide are, and how important the United Way is to making that possible.
“All this money goes to help others. It helps others help themselves,” Walker said.
Among those who spoke about the need for services were Marla Rowland of Home Health Care and Hospice and Pat Adams for the Dental Clinic.
Rowland said in that 2011, 63 Miami County residents were able to receive assistance because of United Way funding. Not only does this allow otherwise independent individuals to stay out of nursing homes, but it keeps health care costs down overall. "There was a lot more need than I was able to give,” she said.
Walker, who said he had experience with home health care when his mother had cancer, pledged $50 and challenged everyone who had a loved one suffering from cancer to do the same.
Improving the health of residents was also important to Adams, of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. She said almost every dentist in Miami County participates in the Miami County Dental Clinic, which served 95 adults and seven children last year, spending $16,000. The program is for those who meet income guidelines, don’t have insurance or qualify for Medicaid.
“We all know how painful a toothache can be,” she said, adding not having insurance or enough income doesn’t mean people should suffer.
“The United Way pays for services for people who fall through the gaps,” Embrey added.
The dental clinic gets more than half of its funding from the United Way, and would be hit especially hard if the campaign doesn’t reach its goal.
Embrey also drew on his experience as prosecutor and spoke to a representative from the Domestic Violence Shelter in Howard County, which serves Miami, Tipton and Cass counties as well, about how difficult it is for women to break away from a violent home situation. He said if someone doesn’t leave after the first incident it can take up to seven times before they finally leave for good, and having a place to get back on their feet is vital.
While Tuesday night’s event saw the totals jump 8 percentage points, with just a week left the United Way is still far from its goal. If they can’t reach it, Kuepper said they would have the “unimaginable” task of trying to prioritize how best to distribute the money they do collect.
“The sad thing is, (if we don’t make the goal) funds will be cut. There will be less services, there’s no way around it,” Kuepper said. “We really need to get that goal. It’s so critical that we help our fellow man.”
Wallick said the committee would decide on Feb. 1 whether to extend the campaign a few weeks. One option would be to take contributions from businesses such as Delphi and GM that normally come in the middle of February and count them toward the 2011 campaign.
Embrey said community members needed to look at themselves to come through, because there is no “they” to blame if the goal isn’t met.
“We are the ‘they’ this time. We can’t wait for somebody else to do it,” he said.