College's United Way Fund Drive Is Halfway to Its Goal

The College's 2002 United Way fund drive is currently under way. Members of the Ithaca College community have until November 15 to pledge their support to the more than 100 health and human service programs sponsored by the United Way of Tompkins County. The goal for the College campaign is $61,000; pledges as of Friday, October 18, totaled $30,736. Last year College employees donated $59,816 to this effort, exceeding the goal of $58,000. The total goal for the 2002 county campaign is $1.8 million.

"Thousands of people in the county benefit from United Way programs," says Judy Dresser, campaign cochair and executive assistant to the provost and vice president for academic affairs. "Some of these people are the family members, neighbors, friends, and colleagues of people in the Ithaca College community. College employees and retirees have consistently shown their generosity through the years and their understanding of just how much the United Way does for the wider community. The mission of the United Way of Tompkins County is to increase the organized capacity of people to care for one another."

The College campaign is organized around 42 team leaders, who have distributed pledge cards in their areas across the campus. As in the past the preferred method of support is through the Community Care Fund, which allocates donations on a basis determined by local volunteers. Those who wish to give have the option to designate their gift to or exclude their gift from a specific agency. Those living outside Tompkins County may designate their contributions to the county in which they reside.

The Livermore Society is for those individuals who alone or combined with a spouse or partner contribute $600 or more. Those close to giving this amount might consider increasing their pledge to meet this goal. Those who have received pledge cards are urged to return them to their team leaders or the cochairs, whether a gift has been pledged or not.

More information is available from team leaders or from the College campaign cochairs Judy Dresser (274-3113) and Karen McGavin (274-3118).