SIDNEY - The Sidnev United Way kicked off their 2011 fund drive at their 60th Anniversary Dinner Oct. 29. At the dinner all current and past board members were recognized, and the return of 14 past presidents was celebrated. The early days of the Community Chest that was established in 1950 was brought up and it was noted that while the name was changed to the United Way of Sidney, the mission to help the health and social welfare of the area remains the same.

A goal of $87,500 was set for the current campaign. "Once again we have raised our campaign goal so we can provide stable funding for our 15 member agencies," said Dennis Porter, executive director. "We will continue to provide contingency funding to address local needs in our community."

For those who have contributed in response to the United Way of Sidney letters in the past, you should be receiving the 2011 letter shortly. You are also encouraged to donate through your in-house campaign. Checks may be made out to the United Way of Sidney and sent to P.O. Box 14, Sidney, NY 13838 or you can make a credit card donation on the website at sidneyunitedway.org.

This fall continues to be a very challenging time for the community and the United Way of Sidney. The recent flood has devastated our friends and neighbors. On the first day of the flood the United Way of Sidney voted to cover all of the unmet financial needs of the local shelters. "We believe that this first step in flood relief helped provide the needed items that our local community volunteers needed to help people that were displaced from their homes. As we did in 2006, we set up a flood relief fund to help our local community members meet needs that will not be covered by insurance or other grants. To date we have collected almost $25,000 and will surpass the amount of money collected for flood relief in 2006. Once the needs assessments are completed, we will be able to work with other local organizations to provide direct aid to local people so they can get back into their homes."

The flood has impacted the needs of many in the community, and for many of the United Way of Sidney's member agencies the flood has put financial constraints on their ability to raise funds and provide the needed services community members depend on. "We encourage you to support our United Way appeal this year as we all need to work together to provide the financial resources to keep our community strong."

Your donation to the United Way of Sidney this year will provide funds for the Boy Scouts, Catskill Area Hospice, Delaware Valley Humane Society, Girl Scouts, Literacy Volunteers, Sidney EMS, Masonville EMS, Sidney Center EMS, Sidney Recreation Commission, Southern Tier Red Cross, Boys and Girls Club of Sidney, Birthright, Sidney Youth Advocacy program, Cullman Child Development Center and Tri-Town Theatre.

"These organizations and funding awarded out of our contingency fund for numerous programs in our community will go a long way in helping all of us recover from the 2011 flood by providing needed services that we all depend on," said Porter. "No donation is too small, together we can make a difference."

Reprint from The Tri-Town News