Editorial in The Sun News on 11/9/11 - Six weeks into the United Way of Horry County 2011-12 fundraising campaign, the annual effort appears on track to raise $1,275,000 for 45 community partners. The campaign has raised $680,913 in contributions and pledges. That’s 53 percent of the goal, compared to 56 percent of goal raised at this point a year ago.

“It’s not bad at all,” says marketing and communications coordinator Julie Kopnicky, explaining that the difference “is the result of several big accounts moving their drives to November, from earlier dates. We still have several companies that haven’t kicked off their drives – or just started.”

In 2010, a total of 158,225 individuals were helped in one way or another by turning to 43 nonprofit agencies. More than 9,900 children were involved in after-school programs, Boys & Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Help4Kids (Backpack Buddies). Strong, safe and healthy families nonprofits such as A Father’s Place, Citizens Against Spouse Abuse, the Rape Crisis Center, the Center for Women & Children and Friendship Medical Center served 49,325 persons. Another 7,000 received help through agencies such as Grace Ministries/Neighbor to Neighbor. The big number, 92,000 people, were helped by the three Helping Hands and Churches Assisting People in Conway, and local units of the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. These are the basic safety net agencies. The 92,000 “is very close to the same as the previous year,” Kopnicky says.

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