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From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com
Organization: American Cybercasting
Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com
Subject: The 'Way' Out of Tough Times=
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 04:42:00 EST
Message-ID: <9.1992Nov20.044200@AmeriCast.com>

The 'Way' Out of Tough Times=

 THE SEASON now starting tends to be a time of personal stock-
taking, including some thinking about those among us who must
depend on community generosity to survive in the national capital
area. A big difference this year, though, is that those who have
fallen on hard times over the past 12 months are many more in
number - and those who can still help are feeling the pressures
of tough economic times as well. For the organizations that do
the most to help throughout this region - the 270 charitable
agencies that pool their appeals through the local United Way
campaign - this is a vicious circle: more people in need, smaller
contributions from those who do contribute and perhaps still more
unmet needs if the campaign falls short.  The way to break it -
the United Way to break it - is for everyone who possibly can to
dig just a bit deeper and increase this year's contribution, to
try to compensate for those who absolutely cannot help this year.
And if there is still any question among new would-be donors or
longtime donors about the status of the United Way of the Nation-
al Capital Area, this local organization has no - repeat, no -
connection with the national group that is reorganizing after
some serious administrative troubles earlier this year. In fact,
the local United Way has an excellent record of high efficiency
and low overhead.

 Corporate contributions have been especially low in some quar-
ters so far, but hopes are that any concern businesses may still
have had about the national-local connections has been cleared
away. As responsible executives have known all along, their con-
tributions to the United Way have been more than community rela-
tions moves anyway; they are investing in the health of their
marketplace.

 Individual donors, too, are investing in the well-being of their
neighborhoods - which, no matter where they live, contain people
or relatives or friends who look to a United Way agency for help.
This year's challenge is clearly the toughest in years. But with
just a little bit extra from everyone who can possibly manage it,
Greater Washington can pull off a desperately needed, heartwarm-
ing upset on the "Way" out of hard times.  02:08 11-20C9999-----

Copyright 1992, The Washington Post.  This story is from the
Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar-
chived or redistributed.

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