Published: October 23, 2009 08:00 am      

Donations still needed for United Fund drive

Representatives of four area organizations recently reminded the board members of the Woodward United Fund just how important their support is in not only the success but just the basic operation of the programs.

During the United Fund campaign meeting Thursday, Elise Solloway, an outreach worker for Panhandle Nutrition Services, shared how government cut backs has led the senior nutrition program to reduce it services from five days a week to four days a week.

“Starting November 1, we will provide meals only four days a week,” Solloway said.

She noted that nutrition sites within the Panhandle Nutrition Services 10 county area, including the one based out of the Woodward Senior Center, which serves seniors in Woodward, Gage, Fargo and Mooreland, will only be open Monday through Thursday.

However, the program plans to provide extra frozen meals to the seniors, “so they will still have food on Fridays,” Solloway said.

“So the money we receive from the United Fund is greatly appreciated,” she said, noting that without the United Fund’s support, the nutrition site would not be able to continue to provide its valuable service.

Cheryl Thompson, with Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma; Brigetta Wilson, coordinator for the Woodward Senior Center; and Jan Nelson and Maureen Mora, both from the Northwest Oklahoma Literacy Council, all made similar comments to the United Fund board.

“I want to thank the United Fund so much, because if it wasn’t for the city and the United Fund, the senior center would not be able to go on; the donations we receive just aren’t enough,” Wilson said.

Nelson noted how the Literacy Council is already serving 70 students, but “every day we have more people walking through the door. We’re going to have to provide for these people.”

“We use your money in a good way. We use it to buy books, pencils, dictionaries, and even newspapers,” Mora said, adding that through the tutoring programs “we see people trying to get their GED diploma, trying to get jobs, and improve themselves . . .. This is important not only for us, but for the entire community.”

The United Fund also supports Cimarron Council of Boy Scouts, High Plains Outreach Center, Kid’s Inc., Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Woodward Salvation Army, and the Northwest Oklahoma Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The organization is in the process of wrapping up its annual fundraising drive, but the drive chair Micky Flynn announced Thursday that the campaign is only at about 60 percent of its $125,000 goal.

A tally sheet was handed out to the board members, listing a total of $26,038.05 that had been collected so far.

However, Flynn noted “roughly another $50,000 has come in in the past couple of days.”

The majority of that additional $50,000 in donations came from Terra Nitrogen, which from the generosity of its employees, “turned in around $35,000,” he said.

Nevertheless, Flynn said, “we are still a little bit behind schedule.”

“It seems like we’re moving a little slower this year, which is understandable,” he said, but then encouraged the board members to “continue your efforts to get packets turned in.”

“Be sure to continue to push that and work toward our goal,” he said.

United Fund president Bill Fanning announced that the recent Bedlam raffle “did well,” as the organization sold about 750 tickets to people wanting a chance to win tickets to the OU/OSU football game or four other sport ticket packages. The winners were drawn on live radio earlier this week and were presented with their prizes Thursday following the United Fund meeting.

Suzie Wheelock noted that the raffle has raised approximately $4,131 “and that’s less expenses,” which represents over 90 percent of the special projects committee’s fundraising goal.

She said she thinks a chili/chicken noodle dinner sponsored by Kid’s Inc. next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. will help them reach or surpass that $5,000 goal.