Efforts to reach their campaign goal are not going quite as planned for United Way of West Central Mississippi and officials are asking the community to step up in the final weeks of the funding campaign.

“We are not quite where we need to be, yet, but the good news is that we have not hit the deadline, yet,” Lynn Foley, UWWCM campaign chairperson, said. “There are still campaigns being run by some businesses and a few who will be running campaigns in February. But, with those campaigns, we still might not finish as strong as we would like.”

Beginning today the United Way is launching the “Final Fifty,” which is a five-week drive to generate $50,000 in campaign commitments that will continue to support the United Way’s 19 partner agencies and their programs.

Over the next five weeks, staff from the local United Way and volunteers will be crisscrossing Vicksburg thanking those individuals and small businesses who have already committed to this year’s campaign and asking others to join in.

“Not only is this a chance to thank those who have already committed and given, but to make sure we ask everyone we possibly can,” United Way director Michele Connelly said. “We would hate to spend this time, spend this effort and come up just short or worse, miss out on telling the story of the United Way to someone in our community.”

The United Way’s campaign cabinet set out a goal to raise more money than they did the year before. Last year’s campaign raised $717,500. 

The annual campaign ends Feb. 28, which will fully establish just how much money can be allocated to dozens of programs aimed at helping those in the Warren, Claiborne, Issaquena, Sharkey and Yazoo counties, and Madison Parish.

“We have amazing partner agencies and the programs they are planning, or are already conducting, are improving the lives of thousands of people in Vicksburg and Warren County,” Tim Reeves, United Way board chairman, said. “Those programs, those agencies, those angels in our community need our support, need these funds. We in no way want to ever let them down.”

Over the next few weeks, the community will be able to join with the United Way in celebrating those who have joined the campaign. The local United Way is encouraging those on Facebook to like and share the UWWCM posts and photos with others in order to be part of the push to reach the fundraising goal.

For more information on the United Way, their partner agencies or the “Final Fifty” drive, call the UWWCM at 601-636-1733 or visit unitedwayvicksburg.org.