ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 23, 1995 TAG: 9512280003
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-11 EDITION: METRO
IN ATTAINING the United Way's annual fund-raising goal for the first time since 1988, the Roanoke Valley has bestowed on itself a thing of warming charity and pride - a great gift idea.
"Remarkable" is what First Union president and 1995 campaign chairman Benjamin Jenkins calls the results.
Remarkable is right. This year's effort has surged past its $5 million objective, and contributions and fund raising continue. The charity last met its annual goal seven years ago, when it broke the $4 million barrier.
In the preliminary analysis of United Way President Robert Kulinski, a telling point is that apparently fewer people contributed than in 1994. That's testimony, in part, to restructuring and downsizing among some of the valley's bigger employers.
But it also means that those who have given, gave more. Kulinski estimates an 11 percent jump in individual average contributions. That's testimony to the quality of our community, as well as of the campaign.
The campaign featured not only record-setting fund raising at "pace-setter" employers and among contributors of larger sums, but also greater public awareness, aided by National Football League celebrity appearances.
Jenkins predicts the ultimate result will mark the biggest one-year percentage increase in campaigns among major United Ways in Virginia, and one of the biggest in the Southeast. That would be nice.
But as he also noted, speaking at the Salvation Army Christmas store Friday, the important thing is not just the goal, but what the giving will mean for people served by United Way agencies - neighbors needing health care, day care, emergency food, clothing or shelter, family services and the like.
Even achieved, the annual goal falls well short of meeting demonstrable community needs at a time when government human-services funding is declining.
The United Way itself is changing, albeit slowly: applying more outcome measures to agency activities, for example. There's growing awareness it needs to be more than a budget-stabilizing pass-through for operating funds; that it needs to go beyond serving agencies and individuals to focus on addressing the community's most pressing problems.
These strategic goals make sense; progress toward them should be accelerated. For now, though, attention properly is fixed on the fund raising.
The 1995 result is a boost to United Way's hard-working staff, board and volunteers, lending momentum to the work ahead. It's also a credit to a caring valley, at a time of year when credit surely is welcome.
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