FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Members of the campus community donated at total of $14,085 during the first week of the U of A United Way campaign.

The goal for the campaign is to raise $125,000 in the month of October to support programs helping children who live in poverty in Northwest Arkanas.

“This is a good start and I want to thank everyone who made a donation,” said Chris McCoy, the campaign chair. “Still we obviously have a long way to go to meet our goal. I hope members of the campus community will see this campaign as an opportunity – a chance to improve the lives of thousands of children -- and take full advantage of it.

“You don’t have to make a large donation -- whatever you can afford. The beauty of the United Way is that all of our contributions, taken together, are powerful – when WE’RE UNITED we make a difference.”

Donations can be made through the personal donors cards that were distributed last week, or online, through a safe and secure donation site.

A second goal of the campaign is to see 100 percent participation among faculty and staff.

“There are many ways to participate,” said campaign co-chair Matt Waller. “You can take the opportunity to volunteer with a United Way of Northwest Arkansas agency; to help out with the campaign here on campus; to take part in a fund raising event; or to contribute to our community in any meaningful way. We recognize that your time and effort are a valuable and a great way to participate. You can use your donor card or go online to let us know that you are choosing to take part in this campaign.”

A few things to remember when considering this opportunity:

• There are an estimated 20,000 children in Northwest Arkansas who are living in families that are below the poverty level
• Many of these children will go to bed hungry tonight – and maybe every night
• Half of the homeless people in Northwest Arkansas are children
• These numbers can be changed, these lives can be improved
• The U of A United Way is working for that change

The money raised in this campaign will go to the United Way of Northwest Arkansas to support 35 programs that work with children and their families to help them build a pathway out of poverty.