“Despite the economic climate, Delaware County residents remain committed to helping their neighbors in need,” says United Way President Brandon Feller. “That’s the good news. Unfortunately, we had $600,000 less than last year to allocate and many agencies will receive less."

 “With job cuts and a struggling economy, donations are down,” Feller says. “But, this is also the time when a community’s needs are greatest.” Feller explained that a larger percentage of the allocations are going toward basic services, such as food, shelter, and emergency assistance. “We know the increased demand in these services will continue for some time, so we’ve made it an even greater priority to financially support these areas.”

The funding decisions were made by United Way volunteers, shares Bill Cooper of Nationwide, who serves as co-chair of the funding allocations process. “These 35 volunteers donated more than 385 volunteer hours. They receive mandatory training and then they read, review and score funding applications, participate in agency visits, and debate and reach consensus prior to making funding recommendations. They help to ensure funds are used wisely in our community. Volunteers take their role seriously and are committed to supporting agencies that have proven results of changing and improving people’s lives.”