The Cornell United Way Campaign, currently at $796,430, is nearing its goal of $805,000. It is not too late to donate to the campaign and have it count in this year's totals, say Paul Streeter and Ron Seeber, co-chairs of the Cornell United Way Campaign.

Each year the Cornell community contributes about 40 percent of the United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC) campaign goal, helping to directly support local services and programs meeting critical community needs in such targeted areas of care as the Urgent Rx Prescription program, Hunger and Food Security programs and the Basic Needs Fund for housing and utilities.

Gifts can also be designated to any of more than four dozen community service agencies throughout the county, or to the United Way campaign of another county. The entire amounts of individuals' gifts, including those designated for other United Ways, are passed on to their targeted areas, thanks to donations from UWTC's Corporate Cornerstone.

With the closing of its campaign March 31, UWTC is in a final fundraising phase, seeking to raise the final $90,000 of its $2.151 million goal in recognition of its 90th anniversary. A gift of $90 can provide, for example, one of the following:

• 36 children spots in the School Readiness Program, Reading in the Lady Bug Garden, through the Dryden Community Council;
• 25 boxes of food, enough for 78 people to eat nine meals from the Caroline Food Pantry through the Brooktondale Community Center;
• online crisis counseling services for six youth through Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service;
• five free prescriptions to non-insured patients through the Urgent Rx Prescription Program.

Pledge cards can be downloaded at http://unitedway.cornell.edu/. Donations can also be made online, at https://www.uwtc.org/; select "GIVE."