Kent State United Way raises money for the local community
October 20, 2011
#KWUnitedWay
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Kent State officially kicked of its annual United Way Campaign Sept. 21, which runs all the way through Dec. 2.
The United Way Campaign is a fundraiser that is held every year at Kent State to raise money to support personal service organizations for the local community in Portage County.
Students have the opportunity to donate money to this campaign just by keeping their eyes open for when several colleges hold on-campus fundraisers; such as a garage sale Nov. 14 and a game of cornhole Nov. 30.
In order for students and/or faculty to donate money to United Way, they can either fill out a pledge card at their colleges or fill out an E-pledge card online.
“Our goal is $180,000. Last year our goal was slightly less than that, and we exceeded that goal, so now we are looking to meet a new and higher goal,” said Douglas Steidl, Chair of the United Way Campaign.
According to the 2010 Census, Portage County houses about 160,000 people, and in the the township of Franklin, where Kent is located, there were about 1,324 people in 2006 who were in need of help to fulfill their own basic services.
“There are a lot of people in the community, and (the number of people in need) seems to grow each year over the last three years . . . And that is what United Way does, it provides those services to them,” Steidl said.
Kent State has held the United Way Campaign for many years and each year tries to get everyone involved in the effort to raise money for those in need.
“The University is connected to downtown sort of physically and in making an improvement in the community, but I believe this is really a community project that is just as important as making that physical connection,” Steidl said.
According to the United Way website, $1 can provide a free winter coat and a free bag of clothing from the County Clothing Center, $2 will provide a hot, full-course meal to a hungry child or adult and $50 will purchase groceries to feed a family of four for an entire week.
“We have, and there are those who do not have. You never know when you might not have, and the United Way is the net underneath: It’s the net for those who truly have no other place to go,” Steidl said.
