Nine pacesetter companies kick-started their United Way fundraising campaigns this week.

The 2008 campaign will officially start Sept. 5. By then, the pacesetters will have finished their fundraising efforts and their numbers will be used to encourage other companies. By the 2007 campaign kickoff, the pacesetters had raised $423,290.

“We go and talk to some of the companies and ask them if they’ll be our champions, start us off and jump-start our campaign,” said Donna Ingram, pacesetter chair for this year.

The 2008 campaign goal for the United Way of West Central Mississippi is $1,525,000, down $57,000 from last year’s goal of $1,582,000. In 2007, the campaign brought in $1,525,822.57, about 96 percent of the goal.

“I think that one of the things that will help us reach that goal is a personal touch,” said Ingram.

At Wednesday’s pacesetter event, one of the focuses was giving the United Way’s 20 member agencies an identity. Cindy Hilton, community/campaign assistant for United Way, shared her experience with the Warren County Children’s Center and the services they offer.

“United Way is not for poor people or rich people, white people or black people. It’s our entire community, and it’s so essential,” she said.

Barbara Tolliver, executive director of the United Way, agreed. “You never know when you’ll need United Way services.”

This year’s United Way campaign chairman Don Jarratt acknowledged the faltering economy, but said, “The need for support doesn’t go down, it actually goes up. For some, the cost of oil makes them tighten their belts, but for others, it completely disenfranchises them.”

Helping Jarratt with this year’s campaign is a cabinet of 11 chairmen and nine account managers.

The United Way of West Central Mississippi serves Claiborne, Sharkey, Issaquena, Yazoo and Warren counties and Louisiana’s Madison Parish. Twenty partner agencies receive partial funding from the United Way campaign each year.

In addition to raising money for these agencies, the United Way holds the agencies accountable for the funds.

“A successful campaign is not how much money we raise, but how many people we help,” said Tami Milazzo, director of community investments for United Way.

Member agenciesAmerican Red CrossBoy ScoutsCentral Mississippi Prevention ServicesChild Abuse Prevention CenterChristian Volunteer ServiceCommunity CouncilGirl ScoutsGood Shepherd Community CenterGrace Christian Counseling CenterHaven House Family ShelterHIV ServicesMagnolia Speech SchoolMIDD-WestThe Salvation ArmyVicksburg Family DevelopmentWarren County Children’s ShelterWarren County Habitat for HumanityWarren-Yazoo Mental HealthWe Care Community ServicesYMCAPacesetter companiesAnderson-TullyBancorpSouthEntergyEnergy Operations at Grand Gulf Nuclear Power StationFalco ChemicalPolyvulc USARiverHills BankTrustmarkThe Vicksburg Post