LETTER TO THE EDITOR (11/15/98)

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Let's use campaign for our community

Dear Editor:

Every year during October, the United Way initiates its campaign to collect money for various charitable organizations. Most employers hand out booklets that list all the registered organizations that qualify to receive funds, along with contribution forms to facilitate employee donations. The forms are printed with the employee's name and social security number, and the only thing that needs to be done is to designate an amount, fill in the recipient organization's registered number and sign it. If organizations are not registered, a write-in procedure exists. Many companies or corporations set monetary contribution goals. Although employees are not coerced to contribute, pressure is nevertheless often applied to meet goals. Most individuals respond. The federal government conducts its campaign under the name Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).

There are many individuals who contribute, but do not designate a specific recipient organization. Those funds go into a general pool, which becomes quite large, and are distributed to all registered area organizations via pre-established weighted factors or formulas. Opinions vary on how funds are distributed for write-in organizations. One thing is very certain: the chances for receiving contributions increase significantly when an organization has a registered number.

I work in Philadelphia and I have perused this year's CFC area booklet from cover to cover. I have not found a single listing for a Ukrainian organization. The Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center (UECC), United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC) and countless others are not listed. The UECC and UUARC were listed in the past, but have subsequently vanished. For the past two or three years, I had contacted the UECC directly and mentioned the non-listing. Many others had done the same. Apparently our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Is the lack of action attributable to ignorance, negligence or indifference? Are these organizations so financially comfortable that they do not need monies from the United Way? Certainly that is not the case. Therefore, the only explanation is that individuals who work in these organizations are "neglecting their duties" and missing a great opportunity to obtain relatively easy funds.

The situation described above probably is not unique and therefore exists in other regions where there is a heavy concentration of Ukrainians. Isn't 50 years long enough to learn how the game is played? The UECC and others, let's get on the ball and make the United Way work for the benefit of our community. We cannot afford to lose tens of thousands of dollars annually. (Word has it that the UUARC alone received approximately $40,000 yearly when they were listed).

Eugene Zyblikewycz
Marlton, N.J.

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