When it comes to basic necessities like education, food, shelter, income and health, plenty of families rely on the Centre County United Way and the programs it funds.
If the local philanthropic organization doesn’t hit its fundraising goal, some of those families could suffer as a result.
The Centre County United Way was 97 percent of the way to its fundraising goal of $2,125,000 as of Friday, just one day before the Jan. 31 cutoff.
The organization won’t know if it reached the goal until some time this week and will announce the results of its fundraising campaign on Feb. 9, says communications coordinator Megan Evans.
As part of its last-minute push for donations, the United Way held its semiannual Trash to Treasure sale on Saturday, turning Penn State students’ giveaways into charitable funds. Executive director Tammy Gentzel says that they received thousands of items from students who graduated in the fall.
“We had two huge rooms stuffed full of stuff, just like you see in the cartoons when you open the door and stuff falls out of it,” Gentzel says. “We spent the last two weeks sorting through it to get ready for the sale.”
The organization surpassed its estimate for Trash to Treasure, raising over $5,600 as it sold used clothing, furniture, electronics, and more to a crowd of approximately 300 customers during the course of the four-hour sale. The total earnings from the sale won’t bring the charity to its goal, but it will take until midweek for them to catch up on donations that were mailed in recent days.
“We won’t know if we hit it until we’re done counting,” Gentzel says. “It’s kind of like THON in that it goes right up to the last minute, but it’s going to be close.”
If the United Way doesn’t reach the goal, there will likely be serious consequences for those who count on the organization for support. The organization aims to support low- and moderate-income families by funding programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters, assisting families dealing with domestic violence, and helping those who need food and have health issues.
“If we don’t make our goal, we’re going to have to make a decision as to which programs we’re going to reduce funding for, if not all of them, and that’s going to impact their ability to serve people,” Gentzel says. “They may have longer waiting lists or they may have to stop serving some families, so there are pretty significant ramifications.”
As part of its last-minute fundraising appeal, the United Way partnered with Home Instead Senior Care, which agreed to match donations up to $5,000 over the past week. Within the first few days, the full amount was reached.
Even though the cutoff for the fundraising window closes on Jan. 31, the local United Way is always accepting donations. For more information, you can visit them online here.
Popular Stories:
Penn State Hockey: Nittany Lions Upend No. 14 Vermont For 4-2 Victory
Penn State Basketball: Nittany Lions Fall To Illinois In Final Seconds 60-58
Big Ten Sanctions Still Causing Big Problems for Penn State
The Blonde Cucina: Make Your Super Bowl Party a Success With These Recipes
Freeh Investigator: NCAA Had No Influence on Investigation or Content of Freeh Report
Ruby Tuesday Shuts Down State College Location
Centre County Commissioners Reportedly Served Subpoenas by Attorney General
Rugby Players Sentenced in Arson Case, Avoid Jail
