United Way Area’s generosity astounding
Published 12:01 am Sunday, December 26, 2010
In a time when “austerity” — severe budgetary clampdowns — is Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year, the people of this area should rise and give themselves a standing ovation: the United Way of West Central Mississippi reached 93 percent of its stated financial goal in 2010.
The goal was lofty indeed. Being sought in the yearlong campaign was $1.4 million; collected was $1,321,760.
The lion’s share will be shared among 21 agencies in Warren, Yazoo, Sharkey, Issaquena and Claiborne counties in Mississippi and Madison Parish in Louisiana whose purpose is to help our poor, our tired, our hungry, our undereducated.
Historically, this United Way chapter has been a boulder in the national sea of charity pebbles. An example is just 80 miles away, where the Miss-Lou United Way in Natchez, a city about two-thirds the size of Vicksburg, raised 75 percent of its fundraising goal of $175,000 in a five-month push. Contrast that with $1.3 million in a year.
United Way funding comes from the people. It is heartwarming to see that even in tough times the fine people of our community again rose to the occasion to give money that ultimately will help those less fortunate.
The Vicksburg-area numbers are astounding — especially in this economy.
The state jobless rate is hovering at about 10 percent, the national housing market has yet to fully recover and the national debt is skyrocketing. The effects are being felt from K Street in Washington, D.C., to Washington Street in downtown Vicksburg.
But, like always, in this area when a need is great, the response is even greater.