Jamestown United Way campaign seeks to raise $160,000 for agencies serving Stutsman County

Sep. 21—The campaign fundraising goal for Jamestown United Way this year is $160,000, said Dani Helton, president of the United Way Board.

The goal is lower than previous years, she said, but the board thought it was probably the most reasonable goal given the state of the economy with the pandemic.

The theme of the campaign this year is "Community Impact Starts with U."

"We support 12 organizations that are local, here in Jamestown mostly, but we serve Stutsman County as a whole," Helton said.

She said the need continues for the 12 agencies getting assistance that can take a number of forms, from salaries to programs.

"There's a lot of need everywhere just with the current climate that we have going on," Helton said. "These programs, a lot of them, help maybe some of the less fortunate people in our community, and those are the ones that are being impacted the most by the current pandemic. So the funds that we have we put toward those agencies ... in order to support individuals in our community."

Ninety-eight percent of the funds raised in Stutsman County for United Way stays in Stutsman County and supports those 12 agencies, Helton noted.

"The agencies that we support, they have to be able to show that the money they receive from United Way stays here in our county and supports people within our county," she said.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is one of those agencies receiving assistance. Bob Toso is the local coordinator for the program which provides children from birth to age 5 with a free book that is mailed every month. The cost is $25 per child per year, and United Way helps provide books for hundreds of children with the funding it allocates, Toso said.

"They were instrumental in getting us started eight years ago with their financial support right off the bat and they've just been a partner for us ever since," he said.

Toso said 600 children in Stutsman County receive a book every month at no charge, with 400 of them receiving books through the funding provided by United Way. That wouldn't be possible without United Way's help, he said.

"We'd either have to give out fewer books or I'd have to do a lot more work fundraising and that would be difficult," Toso said.

Helton said the agencies receiving funds through United Way help people of all ages.

"United Way is a great organization," she said. "We support all these different agencies within our community that ... support a wealth of people. They can support anyone from age zero to 120 really based on the programs that they provide. ... It's just a broad scope of areas that people can get assistance and help within the community."

Boy Scouts in Jamestown receive United Way funding, and Aaron Motter, scoutmaster for Troop 163, said the funds help reduce the cost for "rechartering," which is registration fees paid each year by members. The Scouts all get a discount on registration.

"I believe there's some that might not have rechartered (without the help)," he said. "Every little bit helps for some of these kids."

In the next month, United Way Board members will hand-deliver packets regarding the campaign to most local businesses explaining how donations can be made, such as one-time or payroll donations. Some may receive information through the mail, Helton added. Donations can also be made through the website www.jamestownunitedway.org or by calling United Way at 701-952-8929.

The kickoff for the campaign officially began on Monday with free activities for the community in Hansen Arts Park. Helton said United Way does a lot of community events including bingo and golf where the funds raised help the agencies. Those are not primary fundraisers but are fun things to do to raise awareness, she said.

"We want to get the United Way name out there so more people are familiar with it," she said.

Lynne Tally, executive director of Safe Shelter, attended the kickoff on Monday and said United Way funding helps with operating expenses and shows federal/state funders that it has community support. That helps Safe Shelter leverage additional funding to provide services for victims of domestic and sexual assault.

"It really does make a big difference," she said.

The fundraising campaign runs through the end of February 2022.

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Agencies served by Jamestown United Way

Alano Society

Boy Scouts

Camp Rokiwan

Community Corrections

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Girl Scouts

James River Transit

MOST/21 Century After School Program

Safe Shelter

SANE/SART

PATH

The Arts Center