United Way says it still needs your help

Gregg Schroeder spent Monday morning counting up the dollars and in some cases, the pennies. The president of United Way of the Coastal Empire says every cent will be needed to serve the many in need in the coming year.

United Way serves thousands who need help in four counties (Chatham, Bryan, Effingham and Liberty). The campaign goal is slightly lower this year ($88,000 less than last year) but Schroeder says the need is greater than ever. "We have many more requests for help, for food, for utility assitance, for so many things," Schroder says.

He says calls to the agency's 211 hotline numbered 12,000 last year, or about 1,000 a month, which was an increase. "Right now, it's even more than that. In October, we had 1,700 calls in just that month," Schroder tells me.

The numbers represent adults out of work, parents searching for help to pay the rent or the light bill, and children who may not have enough to eat each day.

Schroder says that United Way is hoping to reach its goal of $8.2 million dollars by Friday. "But we still need everyone's help to make it," he says.

As of Monday, thery were several million dollars short. However, Schroder says big contributions, including one from Gulfstream have not been counted in yet. Still, he says even with the big contributors coming in by the end of the week, anything that individuals can do is needed more than ever right now.

Monday afternoon, Jeff Kole, this year's campaign chair took the call for donations to the Rotary Club . "If you haven't filled out a pledge card, we would appreciate your doing so," he told the crowd.

"We are just turning over every possible stone ot make the goal and we are not going to give up until we make it," Kole told us.

Kole says they've found that this year that folks who've been furloughed and lost wages are more reluctant to give. "They are afraid of what's going to happen to their incomes, especially with so much unemployment," he says. "That's why we're appealing to those who can afford to give, to come up with a little extra if possible."

"United Way is the community's broadest based charity with 31,000 donors," says Schroder .He says people can still make contributions by filling out application sheets with their employers or going to the United Way's website.

Schroder tells me that the agency tries to concentrate on four areas: education and youth development, health and wellness,
helping people achieve econimic independence and basic human needs. "The human needs is something that will never go away," he says. "Especially in this current economic climate."