The United Way Foundation is gearing a reprise to its annual campaign in Syracuse beginning Friday. This year’s campaign is the 90th year United Way has been in service in Central New York.

United Way is a nonprofit support organization dedicated to rectifying social problems within a community through various organizational partnerships, according to its website.

The point of United Way is to give people help who need it, said Suzanne Thorin, dean of libraries and university librarian at Syracuse University. Thorin said she spurs student and staff involvement through Carrier Dome activities, newsletters, emails and auctions.

United Way reciprocates to donors, making them ‘become a better person by giving to someone else,’ Thorin said. Before coming to SU, Thorin had been a part of United Way for nine years at Indiana University.

The campaign in Syracuse is meant to provide program funding and service to those who are in need of caring in the community, said Tony Callisto, chair of the United Way campaign and chief of the Department of Public Safety.

Callisto, who said that he has been a contributor to United Way for decades, added that more than $200,000 was donated on behalf of SU last year. He attributed the large amount to faculty, staff and student involvement and contributions. This year’s goal is to exceed last year’s amount, Callisto said.

Jennifer Horvath, the United Way campaign coordinator and public information officer at DPS, said that there are four areas of focus when it comes to the campaign this year: safety net, health, income and education.

There are 95 programs operated by 35 agencies in the campaign in Central New York, Horvath said. There are a variety of ways to donate to one of the United Way programs — other than via Internet — including bake sales, cook-offs and Jeans Day, she said.

At SU, some of the contributions funding the programs come from involved students, Horvath said, and the biggest event is Dollar Day at the Dome. She said there are also incentives for those who contribute, such as being entered into drawings with prizes as varied as gift certificates to out-of-town trips.

People are recognized for their donations, Callisto said. When looking to get people to donate, he said, think about friends, families and people within the community who have been touched by the organization. Taking a general interest in the welfare of the community and making a difference is the objective of United Way, he said.

One of the incentives he gets out of supporting United Way is seeing his mother getting a nice, hot meal from the Meals on Wheels program, he said. Callisto said giving a part of his paycheck to United Way was an easy choice to make, as he has been touched by the resourceful organization.

Callisto said that even in this economy, millions of dollars are donated to United Way. There has been an increase in the level of contributions and community involvement during the past few years, he said.

Callisto said: ‘The community has been very supportive of United Way.’

mjkovac@syr.edu

Published on September 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm