Angie Eggum, Touch a Life

As we end the sixth week of the campaign, it is a scary realization that the campaign is half over. We are officially on the downhill slide.

With the total contributions not quite 40 percent, it is a bit scary that we haven&8217;t raised half our goal. This is why it is essential that we as campaign chairwomen make sure we continue to spread the word about who the United Way of Freeborn County is, and what benefits it brings to the community. Because as I&8217;ve said to people across the county, I have a strong belief that if people knew how much the United Way helps its community, that we will have no trouble reaching our goal!

This week, I&8217;d like to focus on strengthening families. Fifteen percent of the funds raised by the United Way of Freeborn County go to fund agencies and programs that support this essential need.

The agencies are: Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Service, Crime Victims Crisis Center, Domestic Abuse Project, Circle of Parents, and Parenting Resource Center.

These groups offer support groups, education, counseling, and safety when a family member is in crisis.

The United Way aids Lutheran Social Service in several different ways. One of the ways is through the sliding-fee scale that is offered for its counseling services. These services have long-term benefits for children in preventing poverty, encouraging emotional development, and reducing the need for extensive medical services. Catholic Charities also provides counseling services for many different needs. One of the lesser-known facts about both of these organizations is that the recipients don&8217;t need to be affiliated with the denominations that they represent. Both organizations welcome people of all backgrounds.

Parenting Resource Center is another of the agencies that receives aide from the United Way. There are many different programs within this agency that are essential to the well being of residents in Freeborn County; Crisis Nursery is one of these programs. It provides 24-hour emergency childcare for children who are infants up to 12 year olds. It was established with the intent that adult problems don&8217;t become children&8217;s problems. So, parents who are dealing with medical issues, domestic violence, or homelessness will have a safe place to leave their children for up to 72 hours until they can find a long-term solution.

One of the scenarios that I was given when learning about the Crisis Nursery was that of a single parent going through cancer treatments. Oftentimes it is unrealistic to expect a single parent to effectively care for their children immediately following chemotherapy or other treatments. This program helps that parent to find a safe, reliable home for their child while they focus on getting better.

Many of the programs that fall under the essential need &8220;strengthening families&8221; are critical to our community. They are not the programs that receive the &8220;publicity.&8221; They are the ones that help people survive from day to day. It has been easy for me to talk about the happy programs that the United Way supports. I can tell some great stories about strengthening families at the YMCA or the happy children at the Children&8217;s Center.

But the programs that fall under this essential need help people to get back on their feet. They often save the lives of the people who use them &8212; or more so the lives of their children.

Parenting Resources offer its WarmLine for parents who need someone to provide emotional support or help with problem solving in their daily parenting. Circle of Parents offers parenting classes for those who may not have been raised in the most nurturing of environments. The number of lives that are not only saved but also enriched is innumerable. It is simply impossible to count the number of lives that are touched when the chain of abuse ends in a family. Not only are the members of the current family affected, but for generations to come.

My mom and I will never be able to express how this year has touched our lives. We are constantly reminded of the generosity of the people of Freeborn County. Thank you for all that you&8217;ve done in helping us to reach for our goal so far! We look forward to the upcoming events like the Grand Wine Tasting on Nov. 2 at the Ramada Inn and the Baked Potato Lunch at Thorne Crest Retirement Center on the same day. Hope to see you there. Touch A Life!

Angie Eggum is the co-chairwoman for the

2007 United Way of Freeborn County campaign.