FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – If you need a good reason to give to the U of A United Way, ask any of the volunteers who have been working on the campaign for the past few of months.

Elvis Moya with Athletics has a succinct reply: “I give to support my community and to give children a better life.”

Need more detail? Rachel Gerner is the campaign coordinator, and she has details: “I give to United Way because it makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself. Our collective donations provide mentors to children at the Boys and Girls Club, field trips and summer programs at Prism Education Center, and legal representation at the Child Poverty Law program. As I see the campaign funds increase, I feel united with other like-minded people on campus to bless our community.”

Kelsey Lovewell at University Libraries has something to add: “I donate to the United Way because of the wide variety of local programs it supports, providing NWA children with everything from food and shelter to counseling and legal services.”

Or ask the campus coordinator in your unit yourself. You can find them all listed here.

Now is also a good time to give your donor card to your campus coordinator. Campaign volunteers will be collecting cards Friday morning for the penultimate tally. The U of A United Way campaign ends, and the last cards will be collected, on Oct. 31.

So far faculty and staff have contributed $58,453, not quite half of the $125,000 goal.

An anonymous volunteer has this to add: “I give because it’s important. When We’re United we can do great things.”