Published November 2005

United Way sets $10 million
goal for campaign

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

United Way of Snohomish County continues to be ever more important each year in the community and business life of the county, serving nearly 350,000 people a year through 114 nonprofit service programs supported by both donations and volunteers.

This year’s support campaign, headed by Gubby Barlow, president and chief executive of Premera Blue Cross, has a $10 million goal for United Way to enable the organization to continue contributing funds to its member agencies.

Plus, the agency will be accepting one-time workplace donations — one extra payroll deduction — specifically for hurricane relief work in the southern United States.

Beyond that, United Way’s annual funding of local disaster relief agencies such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Volunteers of America will continue. Other agencies supported by United Way provide an array of services in the county, including helping families afford the basic essentials of housing, food and health care and providing services for everyone from babies to seniors.

“The early responses so far, since our Day of Caring started the 2005 campaign in mid-September, have been very strong. One of the biggest factors affecting us is the economy and the success of our work-based fund-raising efforts. This year’s campaign is an increase of only 1.5 percent over the prior year. Hopefully, a continued strong economy in the county will give us a good chance of exceeding that goal,” said Carl Zapora, president and chief executive of United Way of Snohomish County.

One of United Way’s newest community service ventures is the countywide 211 information line being launched next Feb. 22 by the Volunteers of America of Western Washington, with funding and other assistance from United Way.

“The 211 telephone information system will be the biggest change for United Way and the county’s nonprofit service community in the last 25 years,” Zapora said. “It will affect how people find help and how they volunteer to offer help. Over the last decade, other states have found the service provided tremendous benefits, particularly during a major community crisis, such as the recent hurricanes.”

Fortunately, he said, experience in other states has shown that a 211 service will dramatically reduce non-emergency calls to the 911 police and fire system, freeing those phone lines for actual emergency communications.

One of the agency’s most successful services is the online Volunteer Center at its Web site, www.uwsc.org, providing opportunities for agencies to post volunteer needs and for the community to respond.

Activity on the center’s site has reached more than 4,000 contacts each month. That service, too, will be linked to the 211 database, which already includes information on 3,363 different services available in Snohomish County.

Dennis Smith, United Way’s executive vice president, has been appointed chairman of the nonprofit Washington Information Network — WIN 211 — as well as chairing the North Sound 211 task force, which is involved in the launching of 211 service through Volunteers of America next February in five northwestern counties, serving 1 million people in Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties.

Related: With 211, community help just phone call away

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