Our campaign efforts and your generous gifts to the United Way of Freeborn County have placed money raised to date at 80 percent of our goal, or $402,000.

Monday, November 26, 2001

Our campaign efforts and your generous gifts to the United Way of Freeborn County have placed money raised to date at 80 percent of our goal, or $402,000. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this achievement to date.

The campaign process is made up of many individuals and many divisions, from corporate contributions to county business to major firms. There are many campaign volunteers and many, many individuals and businesses who give their time and dollars to help the United Way help the 16 agencies who rely on these funds to carry out programs, which in turn help your neighbor, your friend or perhaps a relative. We have achieved much and celebrate those in the public service sector of our campaign (the school districts, city, county, and department of human services), which has reached 100 percent of their goal or $50,127.90. Thank you.

I’d like to share with you our progress to date on other campaign divisions. Many divisions are getting close to accomplishing their goal. It’s really a team effort and reaching our goal is an accumulation of every division working together to reach $500,000 for 2001.

n Corporate 78% of $118,000

n Major Firms 81% of $198,000

n Professional 43% of $32,000

n General Business 68% of $23,000

n Residential 81% of $48,000

n Youth 73% of 2,000

n County Residential 83% of $20,000

n County Business 60% of $6,000

n Special Gifts 297% of $3,000

We are proud of everyone’s accomplishments and encourage those who haven’t made a contribution to the United Way of Freeborn County to consider this important investment in your community. It’s an investment that stays here to serve those in time of need.

This week we will begin distributing 1,500 books to youngsters of Freeborn County, thanks to increased gifts. We encourage parents of these young people to bring their book to the Albert Lea Public Library Sunday afternoon, Dec. 3, when Marge Hamersly and Marv Wangen, author and illustrator, respectively, will sign books.

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Thanks to the United Way, we all have an opportunity to make a difference for Real People, with Real Lives, who desire Real Results.

Pam Bishop is the 2001 campaign chairwoman for the United Way of Freeborn County.