The United Fund of Switzerland County held its annual meeting and report to the community on Saturday morning at the Moorefield firehouse.
The meeting also served as the official kickoff of the 2005 fund raising campaign, and president Fred Stave announced that the goal for the coming year is $100,000.
The meeting saw attenders hear a report from Fred Stave about the past activities of the United Fund, with just over $400,000 being collected in the organization’s five years of existence here. Of that, over $325,000 has been placed directly back into the community.
“We are truly a local agency made up of local volunteers who are working to help local organizations with local projects,” Fred Stave said. “Each year during our campaign we give donors the opportunity to tell us what they see as the important issues facing our county, and then we take those suggestions and work to affect those issues.”
Along with funds going directly to county entities, the United Fund also works with area agencies that provide services to residents of Switzerland County. At Saturday’s meeting, Craig Beckley, director of Heart House, a homeless shelter that serves county residents, spoke about his program and the people that it serves.
Lew Gordon of the Quercus Grove Food Pantry also spoke to the audience about the program that he works with and how the need has grown for food supplies here in the county over the past few years.
Each year the United Fund makes a donation to each of the county’s volunteer fire departments; and a donation is also made to the Switzerland County EMS. Members of each department were on hand to accept this year’s donations — but some had to answer emergency calls during the meeting and were called to duty prior to the presentations.
The 2005 fundraising campaign got off to a good start at Saturday’s meeting, as Steve Crabtree presented the United Fund with a check from Dow Corning Corporation for $500; and Vevay Town Council member Pete Furnish presented the town’s donation of $10,000.
Retiring board member Pat Lanman was honored by the board for his service; and this year’s board members were approved during the business portion of the meeting.
The new United Fund of Switzerland County campaign sign was unveiled, and is now sitting at the intersection of Main and Market streets in Vevay to keep the community updated on the fund raising progress. The sign was constructed by Kyle Weaver’s classes at the high school.
Donation cards are available around the community, and also at the Vevay Newspapers office. Anyone wishing to donate can contact the United Fund of Switzerland County at P.O. Box 221, Vevay, Indiana, 47043.