by Cory Blackwood
staff editor

The 1999 UM-St. Louis United Way campaign ran Sept. 20 through Oct. 1 with a goal of $49,000. Money collected from the campaign goes to organizations designed to help people in need.

The groups target the 11-county Missouri Illinois area, where one out of three people in that region are helped. Niney-two percent of the donations go directly to the organizations, and the other 8 percent goes to fund raising, fund distribution and administrative costs.

"We have added more awareness since last year, we added more new local community organizations," Steffanie Harting, Coordinator of Constituent Relations in the University Relations Division, said. "Last year there were 130 organizations, and this year there are 160."

Wendell Smith, interim vice chancellor for University Relations, is the campus campaign chairperson while Harting is running the publicity for the United Way event at UM-St. Louis. Both are optimistic about meeting the $49,000 goal this year.

"As of now [Thursday, Sept. 30] we are at 60 percent of our goal," Harting said, "and United Way's campaign goes on until Oct. 25, so I am sure we will reach the goal."

The money given does not randomly go to one group, but all of the money gets distributed between all of the organizations. United Way decides where the money is needed most, and which group needs money more, then disburses it accordingly.

"United Way produces a list of 160 organizations, assesses the need and their ability to generate funds, from a bake sale to a full fundraising committee, then they send the money to where it is needed most," Harting said. "A person can ask for a listing of the groups and have their money go specifically to one of them, like Catholic Charities, and United Way will send it there."

Even though the UM-St. Louis campaign is over, donations can still be sent to United Way until Oct. 25. The address is: United Way, 1111 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63101-1951, and their phone number is 421-0700.