In the coming weeks, you’ll likely read and hear about United Way’s campaign to raise $3 million in Shelby County.

United Way of Central Alabama kicked off its Shelby County fund drive last week in Pelham and announced its most aggressive Shelby County campaign goal to date.

We all know the statistics. Shelby County is Alabama’s fastest growing and most affluent. Our unemployment rate is the state’s lowest. Our schools are top quality. Life is good here. We are blessed.

So, why do we need United Way? That’s a simple question to answer.

Among us are innocent men, women and children who have real needs they can’t fulfill without our help. They are unemployed or under employed. They are children with learning or physical disabilities, or who have families who can’t provide them with the basic things they need to grow, like proper nutrition and health care.

Among us are men and women who are victims of domestic violence. Others have substance abuse problems and issues with mental health.

Despite our economic prosperity, our friends and neighbors and sometimes we will need help from our community.

Most in Shelby County are proud of our conservative values, which promote paying as few tax dollars as possible and minimizing government influence in our lives.

For those conservative values to work, our community must take care of our own.

I know no better way of doing that than through donating to United Way.

Giving to United Way guarantees your money is put to use in your community. Consider these things:

uUnited Way’s overhead is consistently low. That means something like 96 cents of every dollar raised stays right here at home.

uMoney raised in Shelby County can be earmarked to go to agencies that serve Shelby Countians.

uIts allocation board, also made up of members of our community, make decisions every year on how United Way funds are distributed, and those agencies who receive United Way funding must account for how that money is spent.

A visit to Uwca.org will provide you with more information and a list of the Shelby County agencies that receive money donated to United Way.

When someone from United Way of Central Alabama reaches out to you, please give generously.

Jan Griffey is the editor for the Shelby County Reporter. She can be reached at 669-3131 ext. 36 or by email at jan.griffey@shelbycountyreporter.com.