CHENANGO COUNTY –As 2021 comes to a close, the Chenango United Way is in the final days of raising funding for its annual campaign for 2022 program funding.

With only 11 days left in the campaign, we are currently at 95 percent of our projected goal of $425,000.

The United Way strengthens the community that we call home, and creates opportunities for every citizen by developing partnerships to address our greatest challenges. Your support is vital to our ability to continue to help our friends and neighbors in the three focus areas of Health, Income and Education.

The community we find in Chenango County is what makes it home.

If you look within the local businesses, schools, organizations, households and families, you see helpers and givers.

You see the advocates for Chenango County take on many different roles. 
You see parents raising their children to care for their neighbors, be helpers, and be kind. 
You see young professionals volunteering at local events and for various organizations. 
You see entrepreneurs starting new businesses and filling storefronts.

You see posts on social media highlighting a photo of a local beautiful view, recommending a local business, or sharing the appreciation of being on the receiving end of a good deed.

Recently Megan’s 6-year-old asked what the "big sign by the bank" was. In simplest terms, the United Way thermometer, year after year, is really a symbol of just how much our community comes together, and of the helpers. The past couple of years have been some of the most challenging, and yet, we still saw the thermometer rise. It is important to take a moment to reflect on what this campaign means for the place we call home.

Sometimes the thought of "making our community a better place" is overwhelming. Where do we start, how can we possibly do it all? THAT is what we love about the United Way, and our partners here in Chenango County. We can make ONE donation and know that is carefully distributed to programs that work so hard to strengthen the biggest areas of need: financial stability, education, and health for us and for our neighbors. By donating to the Chenango United Way, you can donate an amount so little, but that amount goes so far. A quote from classic movie, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life” comes to mind: “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives”.

No matter how you choose to be a 'helper', or an advocate for Chenango County and our community that resides within, we want to thank you for taking part in making Chenango County stronger.

If you have not been presented with an opportunity to participate in supporting this campaign, we invite you to visit www.chenangouw.com. There are various ways to give, and to give easily and conveniently. 
And when you drive by that big thermometer sign in your town that hopefully reaches 100% by the end of the year, you can say “I helped do that”! Together we are stronger, together we are UNITED.

On behalf of everyone at the United Way, thank you! Our community thanks you!


United Way Campaign Co-Chairs,

Megan Carnachan & Jen Telesky