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Second section - October 11, 1994
SOUTH
'HURON
IG BROTHERS / BIG. .SISTER
Ron Anderson (far left) and Les Hills say United Way support of South Huron Big Brothers and Big Sisters is invaluable to keep matches like big brother George McEwan (top left) and Neil Rev
ington, and big sister Beth Ronson (bottom right) and Patty Wood together (file photos). Big Brothers/Big Sisters now has 30 children enrolled in its program, with 11 on a waiting list.
United Way gaining ground in Huron
South Huron Big Brothers/Big Sisters doesn't know how they got by without the United Way
By Adrian Harte - T -A Editor
EXETER - It was three years ago the Huron United Way brought its
philosophy to the county - let them run and organize a county -wide fund-
raising operation, so that organizations could get on with their work with
fewer financial worries.
This year, the United Way has set its sights on raising $140,000 in Hu-
ron County, and hopes to increase the number of people making use of
payroll deductions for their charitable donations.
Connie Livingston, the administrator at the United Way's Clinton office,
called the payroll deduction the most effective way "by far" for the United
Way to raise funds, even though the organization also accepts private and
corporate donations as part of its campaign.
"It's such a painless way to give too," said Lira "Nobody misses
a dollar a week."
"If you knocked on somebody's door and asked for a $50 donation,
they'd look at you as if you'd lost your mind," she said.
The Huron organization faces a few challenges that other United Ways
don't, pointed out Livingston. Those located in cities can benefit from
large industries and corporations to provide large bases of employees. In
Huron, Livingston said the United Way has to knock on a lot of doors Of
small businesses to gain a handful donors at a time.
The same applies to large fundraising campaigns. Without a central city
or large urban arca in Huron, each town has to be treated like a separate
campaign.
"The rural aspect of the county makes this very, very challenging," said
Livingston. "We have to organize five or sbt, or even as many as 10 [sep-
arate campaigns]."
Still, she said the organization is "very proud" of its administrative ef-
ficiency for getting nearly all the money where it does the most good.
Volunteers have to visit individual business to promote the United Way
program with the owners, before signing up employees for contributions.
Livingston said a large part of it is still an education process, because the
United Way is still in its infancy in the county.
"There are many people who aren't sute at it's about," she said.
At smaller places of business, Living said it 4s -unlikely to expect to _
get all 10 employees signed up. The United Way aims for a 10-25 percent
participation rate, so each volunteer presentation may result in only a few
new donors.
Still, there are companies that far exceed the 25 percent goal for par-
ticipation, said Livingston, citing Cook's in Centralia as having 93 percent
of its employees signed up for United Way contributions.
Collecting the money is only half the story. Getting it out into the com-
munity is the other half. There are currently 19 different agencies in Hu-
ron County supported by United Way funds. One of them is the South
Huron Big Brothers/Big Sisters that operates out of the Lions Youth Cen-
tre in Exeter and helps children in an area that stretches from Lucan and
Parkhill to Bayfield.
"If we didn't have the money from the United Way, what we do would
be so much less," said Les Hills, the treasurer of South Huron Big Broth-
ers/Big Sisters.
For years, the organization was faced with financial shortfalls, unable to
raise as much money as it needed to spend to pair up volunteer men and
women with children needing an adult friendship.
"We've had a real struggle over the past three or four years to meet bud-
get targets," said Hills, pointing out that South Huron has been able to ex-
pand its caseload to 30 children from 19 since he has been with the or -
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ganization.
The annual budget, which has climbed to about $22,000 a year, has its.
last 25 percent supported by United Way funds - money that was virtually
impossible for the group to raise by itself.
Hills said Big Brothers guidelines recommend a budget of $1,000 per
child, meaning the total budget should be about S30,000.
- "Tl erg's very little of the money in administration," noted chairman Ron
Anderson, saying that aside from one paid staff person and minimal office
costs, all the rest of the money goes into programs for the children.
"Our ongoing need is for big brothers," said Anderson, explaining that a
waiting list, comprised mostly of boys, is now 11 names long and vol-
unteers are needed to match them up.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters docs run a monthly program for all the kids on
the waiting list "so they still feel part of the organization," said Hills.
But Anderson pointed out that additional applications aren't being taken
to lengthen that waiting list because "there's no point in taking a child ontc
a waiting list that's two -and -a -half years long."
South Huron has been part of the United Way for two years, after a thor
ough screening process.
"If United Way wasn't around, we would have programs we couldn't of
ford to run," agreed Hills, who said he has been a firm believer in the Unit
ed Way since he started to donate in 1977.
"There's a confidence level in dealing with United Way," agreed Ander-
son, adding people prefer its "professional" fundraising approach. "A lot
of people have a good feeling about it."
"Sometimes we say 'we're not doing enough'," said Hills. "We would
like to do more...but with the money United Way gives us, we've got oyt
of a few scrapes." �1
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