United Way expects to reach fundraising goal
3/11/2010
MATTOON — United Way of Coles County expects to meet its goal of $264,000 for the 2009-10 fund drive.
United Way President Derek Meinhart made that announcement Wednesday during a quarterly meeting of the charity organization that provides funding to 32 area groups.
“We have $250,000 in pledges now so that is 95 percent of our goal. We expect some outstanding pledges to come in from previous donors. We are pretty sure they will come in,” Meinhart said.
That is good news one year after United Way, like many charity organizations nationwide, suffered greatly from the effects of the Great Recession. The local agencies assisted by United Way are helping people struck hard by layoffs, mortgage foreclosures and other financial hardships so United Way leaders said it is vital to meet this goal, though it was reduced from last year’s fund drive target.
The agencies assisted by United Way of Coles County are American Red Cross of Clark and Coles counties, Camp New Hope, Inc., Catholic Charities of Coles County, Charleston Area Churches Food Pantry, Charleston Baseball Association, Charleston Civic Association, Charleston Community Day Care, Charleston Girls’ Softball Association, Charleston Junior Football League, Charleston Transitional Facility, Children’s Advocacy Center, Children’s Assistance Fund, Coalition for People in Need, Coles County CASA, Coles County Council on Aging, Compassionate Friends, Cumberland Associations Senior, CUP Prison Support Program, Eastern Illinois Foodbank, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, HOPE of East Central Illinois, Illinois Coalition for Community Service, Kids Hope United, Lincoln Trails Boy Scouts, Mattoon Area Family YMCA, Mattoon Area PADS, Mattoon Community Food Center, Mattoon Recreation Center, Mattoon Recreation Association, Mid-Illinois Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Peace Meal Senior Citizen Nutrition, Salvation Army and Sexual Assault Counseling and Information.
Sometimes a small amount of money can mean a lot to these United Way agencies. Compassionate Friends is a support group for families touched by the death of child. The group has received $100 so far from United Way.
Holly Pennington of Compassionate Friends was agency speaker during the meeting and explained how important the group can be for parents whose child has died. She experienced such a loss a few years ago.
“We want them to know someone is out there for them,” Pennington said. “We just want to remember those children are still there with us.”
Compassionate Friends meets every third Tuesday night at the Life Span Center near Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center on Loxa Road. The meetings start at 6:30 p.m. and they are open to anyone from the Central Illinois area, Pennington said.
