NORWICH – The Chenango United Way is pushing toward a new campaign season, with new ambitions and a new fundraising goal in mind to help improve the quality of life for local residents.

After narrowly surpassing last year’s goal of $444,000, the Chenango United Way has sights set on a higher benchmark for the 2013 campaign season, set to get underway in late September. The nonprofit agency hopes to bring in $456,000 by year’s end. It’s an ambitious goal, admitted Chenango United Way Director Elizabeth Monaco, but one that coincides with what many partnering organizations and community advocates say is a growing need in the area.

“There is evidence that the need has really increased, so we felt there was a need to increase the goal, too,” Monaco said. Although the United Way has yet to receive funding applications for the 2013 campaign, the expectation is that requests will be higher than ever - somewhere between $500,000 and $600,000, she added. “There has never been enough funding to meet the demand, but the more money we are able to raise, the more we can do in the area.”

At present, the Chenango United Way supports 17 food pantries and soup kitchens, and 21 local nonprofit organizations in Chenango County, all with the objective to enhance its priority areas of education, income and health.