The annual Heart of Missouri United Way Campaign launched in early September in order to benefit the Columbia community.

The Heart of Missouri United Way supports 31 local agencies in both Boone and Cooper counties. The agencies include University Y, Adult Day Connection and the Food Bank.

Campaign Leader Frank Schmidt said MU is the campaign’s largest employer.

“The agencies rely on substantial funding, and the university supplies, easily, the greatest chunk of that money to be recycled back into the community,” he said.

The Heart of Missouri United Way focuses on four major impact areas: education, income, health and safety. United Way works to improve the lives of people in need by mobilizing and coordinating the caring power of community resources in Mid-Missouri, according to its [mission statement](www.uwheartmo.org).

The funds raised will go to programs such as Lunch for Learning. The Heart of Missouri United Way joined together with Columbia public schools in order to provide lunches for school children who cannot afford their own lunch or who qualify for reduced price lunches.

According to The Missouri United Way website, 38.9 percent of Columbia public school children qualify for free or reduced price lunches because their families fall below the poverty line.

For the first time, the campaign has put together a donation website for all MU employees. Schmidt said he favors this new strategy because it creates more confidentiality, the campaign receives more feedback and it is easier to process in the long run.

In addition, faculty are encouraged to participate in “Dress Down Fridays,” when every Friday from Sept. 16 through Nov. 18 faculty can donate one dollar to the United Way Campaign to dress casually.

Students can also get involved in ways other than donating by joining the separate Student United Group.

Live United Week is a week-long celebration held at the end of the campaign, Nov. 14 through Nov. 18, in order to commemorate the success of the drive. During this week students will hold a silent auction as well as the annual MU/KU Border War football game in Kansas City, where the students from both schools will compare results from the campaign.

“MU has won this contest for the last few years against that ‘not-to-be-mentioned school to the west,’” Schmidt said.

Another event for students is the “Day of Caring” at the Food Bank, one of United Way’s 31 sponsored agencies in Columbia. Students spend the day volunteering, whether it be organizing the donated food, putting together the grocery sacks to hand out to families or collecting food themselves.

Sophomore Katie Kaczmarczyk volunteered at the Food Bank last October and said she plans on doing so again.

“Spending time (at the Food Bank) was a fantastic experience,” she said. “I’d never really volunteered before but decided to try it, and seeing the looks on the families faces when given food for them and their families is something I won’t forget. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so grateful.”

The United Way Campaign runs until Nov. 18 and is attempting to reach a goal of $690,000 — a 4 percent increase from last year.

“Last year was such a success,” Schmidt said. “We are trying to do even better. United Way has such an impact on so many people. We know with the help of Mizzou students and faculty, that we’ll be more than able to do it.”