Letter: United Way issues plea for donations

To the Editor:

Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” as the opening line of “A Tale of Two Cities.”

Those words could easily describe the nightly news. Foreclosures, dramatic stock market drops, bailouts, and the price of gas have become all too frequent sound bites to describe each day. In fact, I fear it would be easy to leave out the first half of the Dickens quote right now.

Unfortunately, this is the climate in which we are conducting the annual United Way campaign. It is truly regrettable that we must ask you to make a donation at a time when you may have gnawing questions about what tomorrow may bring in your life. But the reality is we must do it now because the need is greater than ever.

Fortunately, local support for United Way St. Croix Valley helped us reach our $1,175,000 goal last year.

We need your help to do it again this year. Every contribution is invested wisely to meet basic and emergency needs, strengthen children and families and build healthy communities. Each of the 70 agency programs that we support is making a difference in these tough times. Our United Way brings in truckloads of surplus food each month so that local food pantries can help feed more hungry people.

Our loyal donors are still mailing in their gifts. Local companies are conducting employee giving campaigns with the usual spirit and enthusiasm. But many of the gifts are smaller this year so we may not raise enough during this “worst of times.” We are struggling to achieve our goal. We are struggling.

As this year’s campaign chair, I’m asking you for some of “that best of times” support that we Americans are so famous for.

You’ve seen the Live United commercials on television – the powerful message urging each of us to see our lives as linked with others so that we can make our communities stronger. You know that United Way does good stuff here in the St. Croix Valley. You believe in what we’re doing but maybe just never took the time to fill out a pledge form or send in a check.

We need you to act this year! Now is the time when your contribution is desperately needed to help your less fortunate neighbors get through this “worst of times.”

Please mail your donation to United Way St. Croix Valley, 516 Second Street #214B, Hudson, Wisconsin 54016 or contribute online at www.unitedwaystcroix.org.

Together, united, we can inspire hope and create opportunities for a better tomorrow.

Jim Dahl

United Way Campaign Chair

Houlton

Tags: opinion, united, way, donations