One message from the November election was that people do not trust government to solve all problems: There are other, voluntary, means to address them. The United Way of Central Maryland and its beneficiary health and service agencies provide the greatest avenue in Baltimore and the neighboring five counties for doing this. A greater responsibility than ever before for private giving -- by everyone able -- is a byproduct of this election.
There are signs that the people of Central Maryland understand this challenge and are rising to it. As of Friday, the United Way campaign in the private sector had received pledges of $16,889,440. This is about 60 percent of the goal of $28,477,134 and is running a couple of percentage points ahead of last year's pace. Meeting the goal will require raising $1 million more in payroll deduction next year than this. The midway campaign reports suggest this is achievable.
The United Way is more than soup kitchens, more than national health campaigns, more than shelters for the homeless. It provides services in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties as well as Baltimore City, services that grow out of needs in each locality. As the region decentralizes, as the suburbs grow, as the effects of the recent recession linger even during recovery, so do the food, health, shelter, counseling, substance abuse, youth, elderly and medical service needs. Everywhere.
The United Way is black and white, religious and secular, public and private, management and labor, profit and nonprofit, corporation and partnership, metropolitan and local, well-off and modest. It is the one participation in true community -- caring for neighbors known or unknown -- that takes in all 2.4 million of us. When United Way and its member agencies succeed, we are spiritually and materially better off; and if it does not, the quality of our lives diminishes.
The United Way is a workplace solicitation in which one pledge provides payroll deductions all year long. While it proceeds in private sector and nonprofit and suburban government offices, sister campaigns are under way in city, state and federal agencies. Many corporate campaigns are already concluded, hence the heartening figures. But more are still open. People in many workplaces still must decide whether and how to mark the donor card. For accounting purposes, the campaign has to end sometime; the official date is Feb. 8.
The people yet to decide can make Central Maryland proud of itself this season. The goal is in sight. The needs are great. But so are the means for achieving them.