United Way campaign back to blitz, still updating 2-1-1

The United Way of Horry County annual fundraising campaign is back in full swing after being temporarily slowed by record rainfall and flooding. The campaign on Monday reported contributions and pledges of $346,294.71 – 27 percent of the $1.3 million goal.

Flood recovery efforts continue with updating the 2-1-1 call center. Tracy Vreeland, marketing and communications coordinator, says 2-1-1 information is added whenever it is available, such as the Small Business Administration being set up at the Conway Chamber of Commerce.

Meanwhile, the Black River United Way, which serves Georgetown and Williamsburg counties, was setting up assistance centers in Georgetown and Kingstree. “We’re still working on flood relief and recovery,” Black River CEO Lucy S. Woodhouse said. United Way drives continue at various employers.

The Horry County campaign results are as of Oct. 16. They compare to 31 percent of a smaller goal being reached on Oct. 20, 2014. Vreeland and Genie Sherard, president of the United Way, are comfortable with the numbers at this point. “I think we’re in good shape,” Sherard said Tuesday. The campaign is one-third into a 90-day blitz which started with the launch of the campaign in September and will continue into December. The idea is to raise the lion’s share of the goal during the first 90 days and end the campaign on April 30, 2016.

The 2014-15 campaign met its goal in the waning days of April and the board modestly increased the goal to $1.3 million for fundraising now under way. Several previous drives fell short of $1.275 million goals. Before the recession of 2008, United Way of Horry County raised $1,491,000, well over the $1.475 million goal.

In the South Strand Division, the campgrounds subdivision, led by Annette Shepherd, has reached 104 percent. Surfside business, led by Woody Ford, is at 78 percent and the overall division, led by Lynn Carmon, is at 75 percent. In the Public Service Division, inland government, including the cities of Conway and Loris, is at 84 percent. The city of Myrtle Beach is in the process of holding United Way meetings.

“The focus is on new businesses, new donors, and increasing the contributions of existing donors,” Sherard says. At the start of the drive, an “email broadcast enabled the United Way to reach out to a broader number of donors.” She was encouraged by a good “open” rate – recipients of the email who looked at the pitch – and by their response. “Donations went up. We more than paid for [the cost of doing] it.”

The approach is “a new path to reach more people for less money” than the cost of mailing material. An addition to the small United Way staff is a community impact coordinator, Rosann Dates, who “will connect with all nonprofits,” especially the nearly 40 who are United Way partners.

“It was gratifying to have [the 2-1-1 system]” in place. Sherard describes 2-1-1 as “one-stop shopping for people with needs.” Specific numbers aren’t available on callers during the rain and flooding, although Sharard says “we know calls increased.” In calendar year 2014, over 88,000 Horry County calls were made. With all the information on 2-1-1, including federal and state assistance, “it really showed its disaster prowess.”

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 1:27 PM with the headline "United Way campaign back to blitz, still updating 2-1-1."