Downtown Merchants Helping United WayPeople who make an effort to support downtown Warsaw businesses also can help out the United Way.
The Warsaw Downtown Merchants is one of this year's United Way Pacesetters.
At many of the downtown Warsaw stores, restaurants and businesses, there are change bins where customers can leave coins or bills for the United Way as it goes through its 2010 fundraising campaign.
The change bins say, "Make A Change With Your Change."
United Way and all the programs it supports were highlighted at the most recent First Friday in downtown Warsaw.
Last year, United Way raised $2,022,009 for its programs.
One of those programs that the Downtown Merchants have tried to bring light to is 2-1-1.
A United Way-funded program, Indiana 2-1-1 has been established as a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week referral program to help direct people to local existing service agencies in their communities.
Services provided through the program include food, counseling, utility assistance, health care, transportation, housing, shelter, legal aid, clothing and education.
People can dial 2-1-1 for free to use the confidential 24-hour information and referral assistance.
The program directs people to already existing programs in their communities.
When people call 2-1-1, a United Way representative will answer the phone and the caller will be asked for the zip code where they reside. There will be operators to assist callers who speak English or Spanish.
Callers are not required to provide their name or address when calling 2-1-1, and only have to give as much information as what they are looking for.
United Way Pacesetters in Kosciusko County will have the ways they're raising funds featured periodically in the Times-Union this month.
Other pacesetter companies include Mutual Bank, Par-Kan, Silveus Insurance, Zimmer and North Pointe Cinemas.
