DATE: Friday, November 21, 1997             TAG: 9711210674

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JOHN-HENRY DOUCETTE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   65 lines

UNITED WAY ECLIPSES GOAL BY PULLING IN $15.6 MILLION

The United Way campaign in Hampton Roads ended Thursday after raising more than $15.6 million, surpassing its goal by $100,000.

This means 68 local charities will again have a large portion of their funding to help them feed some of the hungry, to ease broken lives and, at the very least, to keep their doors open.

Volunteers and supporters gathered at the Harrison Opera House for a country-theme party capping the two-month drive, and applauded as results from each city campaign were revealed on cowboy hat and boot-shaped signs.

Funds from the United Way portion of the drive, roughly $11 million, will help local charities such as the Portsmouth Area Resources Coalition Inc., which helps needy families to receive shelter and pay for utilities.

``United Way helps us with about 13 percent of our budget,'' said Annie White-Guertin, executive director of the charity.

She added that she has seen the names of people the charity has helped in the past on checks donating to the United Way campaign.

``To see their name across my desk,'' White-Guertin said, ``giving assistance back to the PARC, that tells me the system works.''

As a volunteer for United Way, Tony A. McCright has seen where the donations go. This 24-year-old Newport News resident put his marketing degree from Old Dominion University to work for the charity, but also had time to visit centers for children in Portsmouth.

``At first I didn't know what United Way stood for,'' he said. ``But you really come into contact with a lot of people who have benefited from or given to United Way.''

The children moved him.

``You see, it takes a special person to work with them,'' he said. ``They're in there with them from the early morning 'till late. They have more patience then I do.''

That isn't entirely true.

The young man's stint with the charity ended last week, but McCright still goes to the centers to be with the children. Today he will eat a Thanksgiving dinner with some.

``I've only been there a few times,'' McCright said, ``but they just latch onto you.''

Campaign funds mean different things to the heads of different organizations.

They wore red bandanas passed out at the door and applauded as the numbers were revealed.

``It means a chance for families to get away from their batterers and start a life independent from violence,'' said Sandra C. Becker of Help and Emergency Response in Chesapeake.

``Pregnancy counseling, shelter, lots of foster care,'' said Margaret M. Robertson of Catholic Charities of Hampton Roads. ``It means people have somewhere to go.''

``It's 30 percent of our funding, which puts us in the position of serving 100 kids,'' said Kevin G. Pearce of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Hampton Roads. ``We can match a child with an adult, which helps a child not only while they are with that adult, but later, too.''

``It means the number of sickle cell patients we can help,'' said Judy Anderson of Sickle Cell in Norfolk.

In the world of charity, $15.6 million is a lot of hope.

``We're talking about saving lives,'' Anderson said. ILLUSTRATION: VP GRAPHIC

1997 UNITED WAY GOAL

[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]

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