`Living United’

To the Editor:

The final figures are in for the 2009 United Way Campaign completing an extraordinary campaign in very difficult times. We finished the campaign with a total of $2.2 million making 102 percent of goal and at 3.77 percent more than our announced total for the 2008 campaign. To us, this is a success considering the economic crisis that unfolded before our eyes and still holds Sheboygan County in its grips. We owe that success to the generosity of all of you, our donors.

We are proud of our other successes in 2009 and they are many. We thank all of you for extending yourselves during this economic crisis, which has affected the lives of all of us in Sheboygan County and the world. Because you have extended yourselves, the United Way can extend our outreach to the unemployed in our communities. We have already formed “As One,” a Financial Stability Task Force in partnership with Family Service Association, the LTC Job Center and many other groups and organizations in the community. Our goal is “to communicate and educate families and individuals in Sheboygan County to empower them to help themselves before, during and after economic challenges.”

In a continued effort to fill the needs created by this economic downturn in our communities, we have also formed a partnership with United Ways in Manitowoc and Fond du Lac counties to establish a food clearinghouse to ensure that our food pantries have enough food and other supplies to meet the growing clientele at their sites. Many of the food pantry sites have doubled, tripled and quadrupled their numbers since the onset of economic crisis. Thanks to you, our donors, this initiative will become a reality in 2010.

We thank all of you for your faith and guidance as the 2009 campaign progressed, and we thank the dedicated 2009 Campaign Cabinet who persevered to the very end of the long campaign season. 2010 will bring new campaign leadership under campaign Chairs Jim and Jan Sartori who have already started planning for their campaign. We will not be afraid to explore new ideas, which will enrich the United Way tradition in the communities we serve.

We have learned great lessons in the 2009 campaign and we have taken the experience to heart. That knowledge will guide us as we build a positive campaign for 2010. We will strengthen the partnership with our affiliated agencies, our committed core of businesses, leadership givers and other community organizations to assure quality services and a better life for those in need.

Thank you, Sheboygan County, for “Living United.”
Jon Scott, president, and
William Weissert, executive director, Sheboygan and
Plymouth Area United Way