Uniting Sampson County.

The United Way of Sampson County has reached 50 percent of its $200,000 campaign goal for the 2024 season, and board members hope area residents will be willing to reach into their wallets — through individual donations or payroll deduction — and help them hit the fund-raising mark before the campaign ends.

The local United Way is a non-profit organization that uses 92 cents of every dollar raised to help financially support other non-profits in the Sampson County community.

United Way helps several groups, such as the Department of Aging, assisting them with funding for providing ramps throughout Sampson County; the Firefighters Association and their effort to provide safety material to educate schools as well as adult daycares with material for fire safety and emergency responses; and they assist the Sampson County 4-H, funding their plethora of programs which support youth ages 5-19 with hands-on learning activities and learning life skills.

And these are only a few of the member agencies throughout Sampson that United Way dollars benefit year after year.

What the agencies get depends on the money raised, so if only half the goal is reached, United Way officials note, funding requests will have to be trimmed.

“United Way is the epitome of the community helping the community,” attested Linda Jewell Carr, the director of the local United Way. “We are a way for funding to be distributed to many non-profits that serve our area, and only our area,” she stressed.

Carr, a retired educator and school superintendent, took the helm of the local UW in mid-August because of her strong belief in the agency and what it does to help local non-profits and those who benefit from their services.

She has big dreams for United Way.

“One of my goals is to help grow the program to be able to service any groups that apply for help. That would be my biggest goal, but the problem is funding,” admitted the director.

United Ways accepts donations, large and small, fromall over the community. One way that funding is supported is through payroll deduction, where employees opt to have a small amount of money withheld from their checks and designated for the local UW. Others just call and give a check. “We do not care if its $5 or $200, everything helps our goal, which is to support the community,” stressed Carr.

Yet another way to support the United Way is through their now annual Dine-Out event, scheduled for this Friday, Dec. 13, at several participating restaurants.

Dine-Out, Carr explained is a way to enjoy quality time with those you care about, get a good meal and, at the same time support the United Way.

”This is a good way to give without even having to think about it,” she stressed.

Participating restaurants include Alfredos, Mi Finca, Pizza Inn, Wa Chang, Ribeyes, as well as Southern Style. Each will give a portion of proceeds from Friday’s sales to the United Way. have all chosen to participate.

“This is one way for local places to give back, and it does not have to be a restaurant.” said the director.

The Dine-Out event is for lunch and dinner, and Carr urges those who can to take part, knowing that they will be helping local charities continue their own outreach efforts.

Although they are only halfway to the $200,000 goal, Carr is optimistic the group will reach their campaign goal.

And board members are hoping to reach this year’s goal by the end of December

“This year’s goal will help put us in the position to help meet the needs of the non-profits who apply for our grants. It the goal is not met, it changes the impact that we are allowed to have in the community since we cannot honor the entire request for funds we receive” she said.

Her hope, she said, is that residents will rise to the challenge and help the local United Way continue to be a beacon of hope for others.