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Week of 12 November 1999 Vol. III, No. 14 Feature Article BU on the way to $160,000 United Way fundraising goal By David J. Craig Earlier this year, Sheria, a 16-year-old from the Boston area, was pregnant, single, and about to become homeless when she was referred to Families of Cambridge and Somerville (FOCAS). The program, funded partly by the United Way, found her a place to stay and provided baby clothes and information about how to take care of herself and her son, Michael, who was born in March. FOCAS is one of hundreds of human service agencies in eastern Massachusetts that depend on the United Way, which kicked off its BU fundraising drive -- the largest the University undertakes for charity -- last month. University employees have contributed $119,000 so far, which is on pace to achieve this year's fundraising goal of $160,000, according to Marie Miller, who is coordinating the BU campaign for the 12th consecutive year. She manages about 350 coordinators and solicitors throughout campus. Latasha Rose and her daughter, Alayna Medina, recently took advantage of some deals at a furniture bank at the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless in Boston, which is funded by the United Way. Photo by Kalman Zabarsky Carmen Fields (COM'73), the senior director of communications for the United Way, says that although the economy is booming, the demands for service at many local agencies have not diminished. "You might think that a rising tide lifts all boats, but we're often dealing with people who don't have boats," she says. Although Massachusetts is among the most affluent states in the country -- the estimated average household income is more than $40,000 -- the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 10.3 percent of its residents live in poverty, based on the three-year average from 1996 to 1998. More than 200,000 Massachusetts children under the age of 18 live under the poverty level, the Bureau estimates, and more than 60,000 of these children are under 5. Last year the United Way raised $48 million and helped 2.2 million children and adults in eastern Massachusetts by assisting the elderly, feeding and sheltering the homeless, treating substance abusers, and enriching the lives of people with disabilities. Boston University employees contributed a total of $150,000, and this year organizers have set a fundraising goal of $160,000. About 900 of the 7,000 BU employees have so far contributed an average of $123, according to campaign head Dean Robert Thornburg of Marsh Chapel. "We've been getting better gifts from a fewer amount of people this year," says Thornburg. "My hope is that a lot more folks get involved, even if it's a token gift. But the people who believe in it, really believe in it. Personally, I hope that we can raise $170,000." The United Way donation form, which every BU employee has received, lists 192 specific agencies or programs for which donors can earmark their contributions. Through the drive one can also give to a group that is not affiliated with the United Way, as long as it is a 501(C)3 not-for-profit organization, but is not a school, hospital, or place of worship. The most useful contributions, however, are the ones that go into the United Way's general fund, according to Fields. "We think the general fund has the most impact on the most people," she says. "Each year, a band of 200 volunteers evaluates all the local affiliated agencies, including their books. They have discussions with their boards, staff, and clients and give a full evaluation. They then decide how much of a donation each agency should get." Every contribution has a profound effect, Fields adds. One person's donation of $2.50 per week for one year, for instance, will provide hot meals to 86 homeless children. A donation of $5 per week will train nine young people in HIV/AIDS prevention so they can educate their peers. This year the United Way, which is second only to the Massachusetts state government in its financial support of local social service agencies, is aiming to raise $51 million. After administrative costs, more than 85 percent of that money will go directly to help those in need. For some agencies, such as Salem-based Help for Abused Women and Their Children (HAWC), which is the only such agency for battered women in the North Shore, the client demand this year is stronger than ever. HAWC provides shelter, counseling, job training, and a 24-hour hotline that serves about 10,000 battered women every year. "Because rents have really skyrocketed in the last couple of years, it's very difficult for women in an abusive situation to relocate," says Susan Drake, assistant director at HAWC. "About 50 women complete our 12-week program every year, and then we help them find a permanent setup. Sometimes that means referring them to another agency, such as a federal housing program." Without the United Way, Drake says, two support groups for teenagers in abusive relationships, in Lynn and in Gloucester, could not exist. The United Way gives top priority to programs such as HAWC, which enables its clients to become self-sufficient. The United Way depends on about 1,700 corporate campaigns every year. "It's been our most important and consistent basis of support for a long time," Fields says. For information about contributing to the United Way, call 353-3560.