The Wayne County Division of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties annual fundraising campaign began this week at the Hotel Wayne as more than 40 people gathered on Wednesday to kick off the fund drive with a goal of $122,000, announced by Wayne County campaign co-chair Lewis Critelli, CEO of Wayne Bank.
Since 2006, the total financial impact of the United Way in Wayne County has exceeded $1.2 million in campaign funds, donor designations, Pre-Kindergarten scholarships, educational tax credits and in-kind program dollars. $47,260 was awarded in grant monies to 15 organizations providing services in Wayne County with over $4,900 additionally coming into the community through specific donor designations. The United Way further leveraged nearly $70,000 in additional money for numerous special initiatives designed to help Wayne County families with the building blocks for a good life: education, financial stability, health and meeting basic needs, according to David Raven, Wayne County campaign co-chair and CEO of The Honesdale National Bank.
“We know that it’s going to be a tough campaign this year,” noted Mr. Critelli. “But the fact is we knew it would be a challenge last year, and the people of Wayne County stepped forward, saw the needs and helped to meet those needs,” he added.
