Frankly, we wondered how they made it this long.
We are referring to the United Way of Southeast Arkansas in their successful yearly quest for $1 million. Every year, without fail, for 33 years, they have set a goal of a million dollars or more, and every year, for 33 years, they have collected the seven-figure amount during their fundraising campaign.
But then they didn't.
Trouble was probably over the horizon even last year when, by the narrowest of margins, $54 to be exact, the million dollar figure was topped.
For the 2021-22 campaign, however, volunteers and staff collected somewhere north of $800,000 but south of $900,000. The annual announcement is usually made with some fanfare around April. But April came and went this year, and then several more months came and went, until last week, when the time for collecting donations for last year's campaign finally expired.
Jason Duren, the No. 2 person at the United Way, said they waited until the absolute last minute in hopes a white knight would show up and save the day. That didn't happen.
This will hurt the 18 agencies the United Way helps. Duren said they will all get an across-the-board cut in their allotments, with the pain being felt in many ways. And as he points out, this is coming at a time when inflation is already causing these agencies to do more with less.
The cause of the failed campaign is likely multi-dimensional. One culprit is, of course, covid. In a world where the most effective way to convince people their help is needed is to talk to them face-to-face, covid kept that from happening. The United Way got creative, using all the alternative means at their disposal, but it just wasn't the same as having an agency director tell potential donors what their agency does and how many people it helps.
Covid also gets the blame for the sagging health of the economy. Businesses suffered and people were laid off. Obviously, that makes asking for donations extra difficult.
And too, Pine Bluff's population continues to drop, reducing the number of people who might give money. It's hard to maintain the level of giving when there are fewer and fewer people throwing money in the plate.
Duren thanked the bigger entities in town for their contributions and also for allowing his volunteers and staff to reach out to their employees.
There was a lot of enthusiasm at last week's kickoff of the 2022-23 fundraising campaign, and for the first time in two years, covid seems to be solidly in the rear-view mirror. But the economy is not humming, and there's still that population problem, so the work is cut out for everyone to reach $1 million. Yes, that's the goal, even if it wasn't reached last year. As Duren said, goals shouldn't be easy, and we doubt this one will be.
If you're reading this as an individual or business owner and wondering if you can help, the answer is yes. Contact the agency about your own giving plans, and if you are a boss, invite the agency to your shop to let them talk to your employees. You might even want to match their contributions as some businesses in town do.
The bottom line is that we all share in what the United Way does, because it is the backbone of so much good that goes on in Pine Bluff. It's only fair that we all help make that happen.