With volunteers busy rallying UBC faculty, staff and students for this year's United Way Campaign across campus, organizers want to remind people of the benefits that their donations bring to their community.
"We are thankful for support of our effort and together we will make possible the day when future generations will be free of the fear of cancer," says Jane Hungerford, chair of the B.C. Cancer Foundation.
"We see support for the purchase of food and the maintenance of our operations as the key element in combating hunger," says Pat Burns, executive director of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.
It's that type of feedback that makes the efforts of the UBC campaign team -- comprised of more than 200 volunteers -- worthwhile, says 1999 UBC United Way Campaign Chair Eilis Courtney.
With as many as 104 local agencies and 32 affiliates receiving some form of funding from the campaign, the money raised from Oct. 18-29 will go towards supporting a vast array of services and programs throughout the Lower Mainland.
The United Way is one of the best ways people can give to charities and community organizations, says Courtney.
She points out that the Lower Mainland's United Way organization has one of the lowest fund-raising costs in Canada due to conservative fiscal management and the foresight of local volunteers who established an endowment fund for the United Way more than 50 years ago.
On average, it costs United Way 12 cents to raise each dollar. But with the interest generated by the endowment fund covering five of the 12 cents, member agencies receive 93 cents from each dollar raised.
United Way also receives donated advertising time and space from radio, television and news organizations, saving costs associated with promoting the campaign.
One in three people in the Lower Mainland have used the services of a United Way member agency or service and all of the money raised in the Lower Mainland remains within the area.
People interested in volunteering for this year's UBC United Way campaign can still do so by contacting the campaign office at 604-822-8929. For information on this year's drive, visit the Web site at www.unitedway.ubc.ca.