
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, September 16, 1993                   TAG: 9309160216
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

UNITED WAY CALLS `CARING' DAY A HIT

At the close of its volunteer mega-event Wednesday, United Way of Roanoke Valley gave the community it serves a grateful pat on the back.

"To see all these people giving and caring was just a wonderful sight," said Jean Glontz, who headed United Way's "Day of Caring."

"You can go past the Salvation Army and see the fence that was built. You can go out to Tinker Mountain [Industries] and see what valley governments did working together. You can drive down Loudon Avenue and see the woman's house that was painted by a group of Norfolk Southern employees.

"The effort was just tireless."

The 24-hour event, which mobilized 2,200 businessmen and businesswomen, civic group members and municipal government employees into volunteer service, opened United Way's 1993 fund-raising campaign.

"The whole purpose for the `Day of Caring' was to educate people of the Roanoke Valley on what United Way does and what agencies do," Glontz said. "It can help increase contributions this year."

The proof will be in how many have been encouraged to give.

Roanoke Valley's United Way opted not to cap its fund campaign with a target dollar amount this year. That the campaign has no limit is not unusual, said Mary Dillon Kerwin, a marketing services associate for United Way of America in Alexandria.

"United Way is moving away from stressing a goal as much as it had in the past," Dillon Kerwin said. "The reason for that is, very often, if a goal is announced that tends to be the focus of press reports; whereas the United Way message is more focused on needs of the community and services provided."

United Way of America still is feeling the effects of last year's management scandal, although market surveys show it is having less of an impact on giving.

Events such as "Day of Caring" have helped get people's minds off scandal and on giving, Dillon Kerwin said.

"I think it's helped," she said. "But the pressure that local United Ways put on headquarters created the reform that took place. It was a big battle. `Day of Caring' was refreshing."

by CNB