The United Way of Mid Rural New York is preparing for its fall fundraising campaign. Jennifer Telesky, of NBT Bank Norwich, will chair this year’s campaign. The organization’s board of directors has set this year’s total campaign goal at $562,900, and all monies collected during the fall 2024 campaign will be distributed through a competitive allocations process in late January 2025. The breakdown of the goal by county served is based on the amount raised in each county last year. The goal for Chenango County this year is $380,000, for Otsego County the goal is $97,500, for Madison County the goal is $75,400 and for Delaware County the goal is $10,000.
Contributions from the United Way campaign are used to fund local programs that address the issues of basic needs and financial stability for local families, education and youth issues, quality affordable healthcare and emergency and disaster response in all four of the counties served by the United Way of Mid Rural New York. Last fall, United Way raised $562,469 – funding 40 local programs, five regional initiatives and 14 local food pantries and soup kitchens that relied heavily on the success of the campaign to help them provide valuable services and programs right here in our own communities.
Every program funded through the United Way’s RFP process must demonstrate measurable results and lasting change in our community. For example, because of donations to the United Way of Mid Rural New York last year:
• 15 low-income, working clients received a zero-interest loan to assist with emergency car repairs, medical bills and housing expenses. This loan program also provided financial literacy classes to help families learn about household budgeting and savings.
• More than 100 individuals were trained in either adult, youth or teen mental health first aid curriculums. Participants have learned the warning signs of mental health crisis and substance use in both crisis and non crisis situations.
• 179 teen participants learned life skills to build their self-esteem and gain conflict resolution skills while remaining sober.
For more information about the annual campaign, call the United Way of Mid Rural New York office at 607-334-8815. To learn more about the organization, please visit our website at www.uwmrny.org.
