NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The United Way of Reno County kicked off their 2024-25 campaign this Friday with people standing on 10 street corners in Hutchinson attempting to get drivers to honk to raise awareness of the campaign.
"I think we've got a group of people that truly believe in the mission and the reason why we're trying to raise this $1.3 million," said Lacey Mills with the United Way. You sit in that room and you hear the work that these nonprofits in our community are doing and the lives that they are touching and who wouldn't want to go out and shout from the street corners and from every rooftop why giving back to our community is so important."
It's important that people understand that nonprofit organizations are helping those who are already trying to help themselves.
"ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed," Mills said. "We're talking about people who are working, sometimes they are working two, three jobs to try and make ends meet. On our website, I was looking, we have a budget calculator. In Reno County, in order to just make basic needs met, if you're renting a home, your salary has to be upwards of $50,000 to $60,000 annually, just to cover your basics. That's a challenge for people."
The hope is that by giving a hand up to these nonprofits, those people can continue to be a part of the community.
"Our goal, I think, through supporting these nonprofits is very directed at trying to help with certain things like mental health and physical health, basic needs, food insecurity, housing, etc. and then also, financial stability. How do we help people come up out of that ALICE family moment and really thrive here in Reno County, because we want them to stay here."
For more information on how you can give, go to https://www.unitedwayofrenocounty.org/.