Published: May 10, 2008 06:37 pm            

United Fund sets budget, agency allocations

By Kelly Young

kyoung@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Representatives from 18 local non-profit agencies met with officers of the United Fund of Cherokee County on Monday to request financial aid from the organization. After hearing the appeals, UFCC set the annual budget for the coming year at $115,000, and determined the allocations for each of the participating agencies.

“It really is a difficult task — trying to decide how much funding each agency should get — because they are all really deserving. We wish we could have given each entity their entire budget, but that’s just not possible,” said Brett Brewer, UFCC president for 2009. “We tried to at least match the amount that we gave them last year.”

After a highly successful fundraising drive last year, when UFCC gathered $136,000 after setting a goal of $115,000, the fund’s directors considered the idea of raising this year’s goal but ultimately decided against it. This is the third year in a row UFCC has set a goal of $115,000.

“We considered increasing the goal, but after talking about it we decided it will be a challenge for us to just keep it the same this year,” Brewer said. “We had received pledges from Alliance Data and the employees there that totaled $18,000 last year, so with them gone it will be more of a challenge to reach the goal again this year. It’s attainable, but it will be challenging.”

Brewer said UFCC was able to increase the amount of funding it could provide to some agencies because others actually requested less money than they received last year.

The annual fall fund raising campaign will begin in September with Becky Bailey serving as drive chairperson. Brewer said he is thrilled to have Bailey serving as the lead on this year’s drive, and that “I think she is going to do an outstanding job.” It has not been determined who will head the drive’s four divisions — major, general, employee and Rusk.

“I’m looking forward to this year, and I’m excited about all the prospects that we have for this year. We’re looking to build on the success that last year brought us,” he said.

Listed below are the 18 agencies receiving assistance this year and the amount they will receive if UFCC reaches its goal. In parenthesis are the amounts allocated to the entity last year.

• ACCESS — $1,000 ($1,000)

• American Red Cross — $2,000 ($2,000)

• Boy Scouts of America — $6,300 ($6,300)

• Cherokee County Child and Family Services — $13,500 ($13,000)

• Cherokee County Crisis Center — $13,000 ($13,000)

• Cherokee County Sheltered Workshop — $12,000 ($12,000)

• Christmas Cheer Program — $5,000 ($4,000)

• Court Approved Special Advocates — $1,000 ($1,000)

• DARE — $2,000 ($4,000)

• Eagle’s Nest — $5,000 ($4,500)

• East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse — $1,000 ($1,000)

• Girl Scouts of the USA — $1,700 ($1,700)

• Good Samaritan — $1,500 ($1,500)

• HOPE — $23,500 ($22,500)

• Jacksonville Literacy Council — $4,000 ($4,000)

• Living Alternatives — $2,000 ($2,000)

• Meals on Wheels — $7,500 ($7,500)

• Salvation Army — $7,000 ($7,000)

        

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