United Way in Waukesha County makes push to reach goal

Dec. 13, 2010

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By Laurel Walker of the Journal Sentinel

Dec. 13, 2010 0

Waukesha - United Way in Waukesha County is appealing for one last push - and $176,000 - to reach its campaign goal of $4.3 million by the end of December.

So far, the organization is projecting to raise 96% of its goal.

Campaign chairman Dave Vetta, president and CEO of First Business Bank, said, "Never have donations been more important than in the midst of this great recession, when so many are losing employment and finding themselves struggling for the basics that the rest of us take for granted."

United Way-funded programs last year helped about 70,000 people through 33 agencies. The organization noted that while Waukesha County is one of the state's wealthiest, it still has almost 16,000 residents living at or below the poverty level, including nearly 4,000 children. Programs like Energy Services has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking assistance.

Vetta encouraged residents to give at the "leadership" level of $1,000 or more because those contributions will be matched 50% by the ProHealth Care and Wisconsin Energy Foundation Leadership challenge grant.

Donations to United Way in Waukesha County can be made by calling the office at (262) 547-8459, by mail to P.O. Box 1041, Waukesha, WI 53187-1041, or by going online to the "Donate" page at United WayWaukesha.org.

About Laurel Walker

Laurel Walker covered local, school and county government for 20 years -- the last half of that at the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- before she was named Waukesha County columnist in 1997. Today she writes about the people, places and events around metropolitan Milwaukee with a broad suburban focus. She was the youngest of nine children raised on a central Wisconsin farm before leaving the nest for journalism studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a masters degree at the University of Oregon. She has spent the last half of her life in Waukesha County, where she and her husband raised two sons. Though she has a fondness for life in Waukesha, she eagerly partakes in the culture of the big city to the east and the recreation of the forests to the west. With sons in the arts, she has a special fondness for symphonic music concerts and art museums. She finds peace in a good book at a Northwoods getaway weekend, adventure in family visits to the east and west coasts, and satisfaction in a column well-written that reaches readers.