United Way kicks off fall campaign with breakfast

Represent-atives of local groups, organizations and businesses pick up packets of information about the 2007 United Way fund-raising campaign, at a breakfast at Cottey College on Wednesday. Steve Moyer/ Daily Mail

The Vernon County United Way kicked off its fall fund-raising campaign Wednesday morning in the Raney Dining Hall at Cottey College. Co-chairs Pat Chambers and Adam Dean welcomed the volunteers to the breakfast and the United Way board members who were present introduced themselves.

Chambers thanked those attending and said it is through their efforts that the many projects undertaken locally and funded by the United Way are possible. Dean pointed out that the group set the same goal as last year, $112,000 and that nearly all of the money raised in Vernon County is spent in Vernon County.

"We send 1 percent of the money to the national office but other than that all the money stays here locally," Dean said. "Children's Mercy Hospital gets some of the money but they give thousands and thousands of dollars in uncompensated care to Vernon Countians every year."

Several of the agencies that received funds last year were present and gave brief overviews of their operations. Carol Parmenter represented two organizations, the Vernon County 4-H as well as Wonderful Animals Giving Support. Barbara Long, Community Outreach, said she was grateful for the support of the United Way and credited it with keeping the food pantry open.

"I am so grateful to the United Way, without them I don't know if we could have a program," Long said. "Their support helps us do what we do."

Long pointed out that the food pantry isn't a long-term solution for people, it is a stop-gap measure meant to supplement a family's food stamps for a short period of time.

"We don't want people to just keep coming in month after month," Long said. "We try to help them budget their money to last through the month and not need to come back for more food."

Many people dedicated many hours of work to get things ready for the beginning of the fund-raiser and Chambers singled out one person for special praise. He said that the pamphlets for the campaign weren't ready until 5 p.m., Tuesday, and that Susan Liter had worked exceptionally hard to get the packets ready for distribution in time for the breakfast.

"These pamphlets that are in your packets weren't printed until 5 yesterday afternoon," Chambers said. "Susan Liter worked very hard putting the packets together. She must have worked until midnight to get all this done."