Syracuse, NY -- Giving to the United Way is now as easy as paying for groceries at Wegmans. The United Way of Central New York and Wegmans Food Markets are working together to allow shoppers to donate to the organization when they swipe their credit or debit cards, write a check or hand over cash in the checkout line. The...
Syracuse, NY -- Giving to the United Way is now as easy as paying for groceries at Wegmans.
The United Way of Central New York and Wegmans Food Markets are working together to allow shoppers to donate to the organization when they swipe their credit or debit cards, write a check or hand over cash in the checkout line.
The promotion runs from Sunday through Sept. 5 at the nine Onondaga County Wegmans markets. All of the money from the promotion goes to the United Way, which says it is trying to raise more money to help the increasing number of people in the area hurting because of the poor economy.
The United Way has not reached its fundraising goal for the past two years.
When cashing out, shoppers will see a coupon at the checkout that they can rip off and hand to the cashier. The coupon is for $2. The cashier will swipe the coupon and the customer’s receipt will show a $2 donation. They can donate $2 or can ask the cashier to swipe the coupon numerous times for a larger donation. The grocery receipt noting the donation can be kept for tax purposes.
“It’s unlimited, they can donate as much as they want,” said Evelyn Carter, speaking for Wegmans. “They also can donate as often as they want — every time they come to the store. We encourage them to do it as often as possible.”
The 2010-11 Community Campaign is especially important because it will determine how much money is available to fund a new slate of programs from 2011 to 2014, said Frank Lazarski, president of United Way of Central New York.
The United Way of Central New York’s 2009 campaign raised $7.98 million, a shortfall of $517,134. This led to funding cuts for 39 service agencies in Onondaga County. The campaign also fell short in 2008.
“Over the coming weeks and months, trained volunteers will be reviewing a new slate of programs and agencies applying for funding,” Lazarski said. “If past years are any indication, the requests for funding will be more than twice what we have to spend.”
The 2010-11 Community Campaign kicks off with the annual Kickoff Cookoff, set for noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Central New York Regional Market. Teams of amateur chefs from local companies that run United Way campaigns will face off. The event is open to the public. Admission is $5.
Contact Debra J. Groom at dgroom@syracuse.com, 470-3254 or 251-5586.