By Blake Deshazo

The Selma Times-Journal

The 2014 campaign for the United Way of Selma & Dallas County is coming to an end. While the organization didn’t raise as much money as it did in 2013, the agencies that depend on the organization will still get funding they need.

“The goal we had was to raise what we did last year, which was right at $330,000,” said Executive Director Jeff Cothran. “This year it looks like we are going to be short of that. We’re going to probably be right at $320,000 to $322,000, but we’re still going to be able to maintain level allocations to the agencies.”

“That is going to be the most important thing that we’ll not see a cut to the agencies as far as how much money they have and how much we’re investing in solving problems in Dallas County,” Cothran said.

Cothran said all of the funds raised in Selma and Dallas County stays local and goes into the 13 agencies the United Way serves.

“United Way dollars are key to (the agencies’) operations,” Cothran said. “In a small town like this that could be an enormous amount of money. It could be the difference in operating and not operating.”

Cothran said many agencies use the money they get from the United Way for grants that match local funding.

“It may not just be $20,000 from the United Way,” Cothran said. “That $20,000 from the United Way when it is leveraged with other grants could be $100,000.”

The agencies that are funded by the United Way help solve issues in the community whether it is domestic violence or hunger.

“There are problems everywhere in Selma, but how you address those problems is how we need to work together,” Cothran said. “What we at the United Way want to be able to do is to bring the community together to solve problems.”

But the non-profit organization couldn’t make a difference in Selma without help from the community.

“We cannot do it without the volunteers and our community,” Cothran said. “I am inspired by my community every year when I see how much the people of this community pull together to support these organizations and support the United Way.”

“We’re so thankful to everybody in the community who writes a check or signs up for payroll deduction pledge,” Cothran said. “Without everybody’s cooperation in this community we wouldn’t do anything.”

The 2014 campaign is ending, but the United Way will continue to take donations.

“(People) can put a check in the mail, go on our website or call, and we’ll send them a bill,” Cothran said. “We’ll do whatever it takes.”