United Way looks to future

By Michael C. Lewis / Journal Staff Writer

MARTINSBURG — The United Way of the Eastern Panhandle is looking to streamline its operations by gathering more community resources to account for a drop-off in annual giving, a representative from the local agency told members of the Berkeley County parks board earlier this week.

Jan Callen, director of the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle, told the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation Board during a meeting Tuesday of the need to transform the organization and the impact that could have on the services provided by the parks department.

“The United Way is changing,” Callen said. “You can distribute dollars and make people feel good, but are we really making a difference?”

During the past year, the United Way has raised more than $1 million dollars and from that, given $30,000 to the parks board.

Parks and Recreation Executive Director Steve Catlett said the funds distributed by the United Way were spent on summer playground programs.

Callen said those same funds might not be available next year. Part of the problem, he said, is that the number of local businesses running employee contribution campaigns has declined dramatically.

Sixty percent of dollars raised for the United Way in 2007 came from payroll deductions of local employees.

Besides dwindling deductions, Callen said the number of donor designations, in which a donor tells the United Way what agency is to receive his or her dollars, has increased considerably. Callen said non-designated donations allow the United Way to determine where and how to spend the funds.

“We no longer look at it as spending dollars. We look at it as investing in programs in the community,” Callen said after the meeting. “The return we’re expecting is an impact on people’s lives. Parks and Recreation have demonstrated an excellent return on their investment.”

In order to make more of a difference, the United Way wants to maintain, and if possible, boost its financial support — $421,181 this year — for community programs that affect children, adults and seniors, Callen said.

“Parks and Recreation is a critical element to nurturing the children, adults and seniors in our community,” Callen said.

Catlett said if the United Way could not provide funding, whether or not the playground program continues would be a decision made by the parks board.

Catlett said he is working to organize an afterschool program for area schools that he expects to be implemented by next fall.

“That is a huge need out there. We could turn it into something positive,” Catlett said, adding that using United Way funds for the program is a possibility.

“That program has a lot of potential,” Catlett said. “Hopefully we can make it self-sustaining.”



— Staff writer Michael C. Lewis can be reached at (304) 263-8931, ext. 127, or at mlewis@journal-news.net