Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
After a successful fund drive last fall, the board of directors of the United Way approved a total of $1.1 million to be distributed to agencies seeking funds.
The amount is the largest in the 43-year history of the local United Way. At the same time, the needs continue to grow at an even faster pace with the total amount requested by 26 health and human service agencies topping $1.4 million this year.
The task of reviewing each request and distributing donor dollars is in the hands of the allocation committee. The committee is made up of local business and professional people who each serve a five-year term. This year Mike Kissane chaired the committee of Phil Eherenman, Jim Tinkey, Christi Price, Dan Rice, Bill Tidmore and Jeff Thornburgh.
The allocation committee requires each agency to provide information on how they have met their goals in the past year and their plans for the requested funds for the coming year. Once the information is gathered, the committee interviews each agency director on any changes in their program, the number of residents they serve and the need they fill in the community.
After the research, budgets, personal visits and agency interviews, the committee presented its recommendations for funding to the board of directors of the United Way. The board approved the recommendations for funds for the coming year.
"What became very evident during this funding cycle was how fortunate we are in Kosciusko County to have services that other communities do not have," said Kissane. "We have a number of agencies who either do not have a direct presence or whose services are not duplicated by others in surrounding counties."
