The United Way of Prince Edward County has launched its annual campaign with a goal of raising $50,000 to support our local organizations and programs.

Through the generous support of our community during the past five years, we have raised and distributed more than $40,000 annually to our 19 partners that provide a multitude of vital services in our community.

We have already started our fundraising with some great news. We recently received an $8,000 grant from the Payne Foundation.

With that grant plus other donations, we are already more than a third of the way to our goal of $50,000.

This year, we are honored to support 19 local organizations involved in everything from feeding the elderly to educating our youth. 

Our community partners serve a cross section of the community — with no regard to age, race or gender. We just try to help meet needs.

Our partners include Farmville Area Community Emergency Services (FACES), Farmville Area Habitat for Humanity, Heart of Virginia Free Clinic, Piedmont Senior Resources, SCOPE/Meals on Wheels, Farmville Area Boy Scouts Service Organization, Southside Pregnancy Center, Farmville Girl Scouts Service Unit, Southside SPCA, Southside Virginia Family YMCA, Camp Loud and Clear, Jolly Glee Senior Citizens Club, Madeline’s House/Southside Center for Violence Prevention, STEPS, Tri-County Life Learners, Riding Star 4-H Horse and Pony Club, Prince Edward County 4-H Club, Prince Edward-Farmville Youth Association and the VA Legal Aid Society.

With your help, we hope to not only meet our campaign goal but to increase the dollar amount each partner receives as they each work to fulfill their mission — because the more we are able to raise, the more we are able to distribute to our partners.

To learn more about the partners our United Way serves, please feel free to go to our website at http://uwprinceedward.org/.

The United Way is now sending out letters to potential donors and is meeting with representatives of area businesses hoping to have their employees make donations.

Also, you can visit our website to access our new online option and click the orange “Give” button, or send your donation to The United Way of Prince Edward County, P.O. Box 122, Farmville, VA 23901. 

All donations are tax deductible and go directly back into our community to help make Prince Edward County a better place in which to live and work.

By working together, we can help a multitude of worthy causes. 

Please join us in donating so that we all can make this year’s campaign a great success and Live United as a community.

Rucker Snead is the director of the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest at Hampden-Sydney College. He serves as the president of the United Way of Prince Edward County. He has previously served our community with the Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Farmville Downtown Partnership. His email address is rsnead@hsc.edu.