Campus United Way volunteers kick off this year's campaign

By Susan S. Lang

For those who are more fortunate, consider that about 10 percent of the households in Tompkins County report that they don't have enough money for food, and almost 15 percent of children in the county live in poverty. Last year, Tompkins County food pantries served 20 percent more food than the year before.

But support for individuals and families in need is available via human service agencies that provide free food, hot meals, mental health counseling, drop-in child care, low-cost or free legal aid and help in getting a job. Agencies such as the food pantries at community councils, the Drop-In Children's Center, Family and Children's Service, Salvation Army, Mental Health Association in Tompkins County, Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service, Neighborhood Legal Services, the Women's Opportunity Center and other United Way member agencies provide these services, and much more.

These agencies, however, need to pay for rent, phone, administrative fees, personnel, heat and furniture, among other things. That's why the United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC) conducts an annual fund-raising campaign to support them, and Cornell commits to trying to raise one-third of the county goal. This year, the goal on campus is $600,000 and a 25 percent participation rate.

"Last year, 15 percent of the staff and faculty participated in the United Way campaign and raised more than $600,000," said Susan Murphy, Cornell vice president for student and academic services and chair of the UWTC board of directors. Murphy addressed about 45 people attending the kick-off event for United Way volunteers Oct. 5 in Willard Straight Hall.

"Imagine what would happen if 20 or 25 percent of the Cornell community participated, and if newcomers just gave a dollar a week," she said.

Murphy told the group of volunteers, which included members of the Cornell United Way Cabinet as well as division deputies from each campus unit who help solicit donations, that in Tompkins County the level of support from corporate gifts equals the administrative and overhead costs for running the United Way office downtown. "That means, in essence, that the entire gift from individual donors goes right to member agencies and the individuals they serve," she said.

Steven Myer, a financial analyst in the Cornell accounting office and the United Way division deputy for Cornell's Division of Financial Affairs, also addressed the group. He worked for several years at a human service agency in Broome County and asked the group to consider this typical scenario:

"Imagine you are elderly, living in a rural area; you have no friends, you have no family," Myer said. "You are isolated, you are lonely and you are afraid. You think, 'What's my purpose in life anymore?' Then a van pulls up and takes you to a local community center where there's a hot meal, other people to work on an arts and craft project with a community service purpose and a counselor."

"You don't see it, but it's heart wrenching to be on the other side, to see what people have to go through," Myer said. What does United Way mean to these people? "It doesn't just mean a hot meal, but it means support, love and the difference between thinking you have no purpose in life to looking forward to tomorrow."

Cornell staff and faculty will receive their pledge cards by the end of this week. For more information about United Way or the Cornell campus campaign, visit the new Cornell United Way Web site at http://sws.cornell.edu/cuw.