United Way of Marion County now official
Lee Ann Smith, executive director of United Way of Harvey County, announced Friday at the interagency meeting in Marion that United Way of Marion County officially is an entity.
The Marion County organization is an affiliate of the Harvey County organization, which, in turn, is an affiliate of United Way of America.
Smith said the affiliation allowed Marion County to avoid a lot of paperwork normally required for setup. However, UWMC will be autonomous, determining the needs specific to Marion County and acquiring its own resources.
Jessie Nikkel of Marion heads up the new organization, which has an advisory council of 10 members. They are Nikkel, Cynthia Fleming, Gordon Mohn, Jim Elliott, Vince Nikkel, Donna Fisher, Carl Long, and Megan Kilgore, all of Hillsboro; Jan Helmer and Rose Vinduska, Marion; and Kelly Krch, Lincolnville. The staff is serving on a voluntary basis this first year.
Nikkel's goal is to have representation on the council from throughout the county.
A fund-raising drive is planned for this summer. Businesses and their employees throughout Marion County will be contacted for contributions.
Money collected will be distributed to various nonprofit agencies and entities within the county which submit an approved application for funds.
"With United Way of Marion County, some people who haven't been contacted will have an opportunity to contribute," Nikkel said.
