There are problems all around us – problems we feel helpless to
solve: homelessness, illiteracy, child care, to name a few. These problems
upset us because they are closer to our lives than we would like to admit.
The truth is we WANT to help, we just don't know what to do that will really
make a difference. By ourselves, it is impossible to do everything.
Together we can make our community a better place to live for all of us.
Together we can feed our hungry, shelter our homeless and protect our
children. We can teach the illiterate to read, help enable the disabled and
care for our elders. We can each do SOMETHING – by giving the gift of
time or money or both.
By working together through United Way, we give
people the best chance to make real and lasting changes in their lives.
United Way of Southwest New Mexico is addressing the problems of our community
through the funding of 26 local non-profit agencies that meet human needs in
crisis intervention, youth development, health and mental health, and
physically challenged and senior services.
To make sure your donation is
going to the programs and services that help our co-workers, friends and
families in need, a group of local volunteers work together to assess the
partner agencies. These volunteers visit the partner agencies, review
financial records, budgets and proposals and consider the community needs and
priorities.
The volunteers then make recommendations to the United Way of
Southwest New Mexico as to how the funds should be distributed. The local
United Way board of directors makes the final decision on the total amount
each program or service should receive.
Only one-half of one percent of
the money collected locally goes to United Way of America. The return on this
investment is enormous: our staff and volunteers receive training; our
material costs are reduced, we benefit from national advertising and we
receive corporate funds from national companies like Target, Dillards, Furrs,
Allied Signal and many others.
All the remaining monies are used locally
to help improve the quality of life for friends and neighbors.
