United Way campaign gaining momentum

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

The United Way of Vernon County supports 19 area agencies from youth centered organizations such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts to Senior centered organizations such as Nevada Senior Center and Meals on Wheels; from health organizations such as Children's Mercy Hospital and Vernon County Cancer Relief Fund to those that care for more than the body's bare needs such as Child Advocacy Council and council on Families in Crisis.

United Way makes it easy for a person to make a positive difference in their community by making one contribution that helps many good causes.

The annual fund drive is underway and has collected reached more than half of its goal but much still remains to be done.

The goal of this year's fund-raisin effort is $110,000 and os far, the group has raised $66,000.

Peggy Tedlock, United Way secretary, said that the group was grateful for the help that Vernon Countians had provided but the United Way was still in need.

"People here are so generous and we've very grateful for all the help we receive," Tedlock said. "We just need to let them know the fund drive is still going and we still need donations to reach our goal."

Tedlock said that people who donated could be sure that someone in Vernon County would be helped by the money.

"No matter what money we receive you know it's going to a good cause," Tedlock said. "And you can be sure it goes to help all of Vernon County, not just Nevada. You're going to help someone who really needs it."

Julie Kearbey knows about the good that United Way can do, she not only runs a United Way agency, Birthright, but has received help from the agency herself after a fire destroyed her home.

"I learned so much from that experience," Kearbey said. "It gave me more empathy and sympathy, and I thought I had a lot to begin with. The whole community rallied around us and a United Way agency, the Red Cross, helped us a great deal."

The help the United Way provides goes beyond any monetary help that is given.

"The Red Cross gives you the emotional wisdom to handle the situation you find yourself in," Kearbey said. "Peggy and the Red Cross gave us stability. There were times after the fire when I would go in and sit with Peggy and she would point out things to me. Just being there with her helped a lot. The Red Cross is not just there to hand you money, they give you the emotional support you need too."

Kearbey praised several of the local leaders of various agencies but had special praise for Tedlock and Susan Liter.

"I believe that because we have Peggy and Susan at the top of our United Way here in Vernon County that we've been blessed," Kearbey said. "The leaders of our local agencies were hand-picked by the Lord for the work they do. I think our community would be so much poorer, and I'm not talking about money, if the United Way weren't here."