October 3, 2001
Early giving pace strong
Tiffin-Seneca drive already tops 20%
By Jefferson Wolfe
Staff Writer
Tiffin-Seneca United Way has achieved 22 percent of the organization's goal.
This year's goal is $500,000, and as of Oct. 1, the pacesetter organizations have raised $110,543.05.
The campaign started Monday for most organizations, and will last until Oct. 31. However, the pacesetters started collecting funds early. The pacesetter campaign started Sept. 8.
"I'm ecstatic with the response," said United Way Director Pat DeMonte.
One of the pacesetters, Mercy Hospital of Tiffin, had a goal of $10,000 for this year, she said. It has already raised $13,818.
Many of the pacesetter organizations have not even finished their campaigns, DeMonte said.
"They've all done exceptionally well," she said.
Employers and employees of area businesses will start seeing the United Way materials for this year's campaign soon, DeMonte said. Some employers collect donations as a whole, while others allow employees to contribute individually, she said.
Most organizations should receive their materials by Oct. 12, DeMonte said. A United Way worker will pick up the donations a few weeks after delivering them.
People can contribute by check, cash or direct billing. However the most popular option is payroll deduction, DeMonte said.
Using payroll deduction, an individual decides how much to give, and the person's employer takes so much money from the person's paycheck every month.
"It's easier for them to give a smaller portion throughout the year, rather than giving a larger portion all at once," DeMonte said.
This year's campaign chairman is Mark Shugarman, president and CEO of Mercy Hospital of Tiffin.
"We're very excited about the start we're off to," he said. One of his goals for this year is to inform the community about the importance of the United Way.
"I'm very optimistic we'll be able to exceed our goal," Shugarman said.
"People should be aware of the number of individuals who are touched and helped by the United Way," he said.
There are 18 member organizations for which the United Way raises funds. Two are new this year, Demonte said. They are FISH, which has been in the community for a long time but has only this year asked for United Way Support, and Village Day School in Bloomville.