The Pike County United Way campaign kicked off on Tuesday evening, and over the course of the next several weeks volunteers will be busy seeking community support for their efforts.

The United Way, an umbrella agency, raises funds for 17 agencies in our community, ranging from Boy Scouts to 4-H to the Red Cross.

By working together through one volunteer effort, the United Way seeks to maximize volunteers’ energy and donors contributions, by directing them both towards the agencies that are making a real and tangible impact in our community.

The focus of United Way, on a global level, is to advance the common good, through three key areas:

Education: Helping children and youth achieve their potential.

Income: Promoting financial stability and independence.

Health: Improving people’s health.

The United Way’s overall goal is “to create long-lasting changes by addressing the underlying causes” of the problems in society.

Locally, the agencies selected to benefit from United Way funding each work in one way or another to improve the education, income or health of our friends and neighbors. Through service programs and volunteer efforts, these agencies improve the lives of thousands of people, young and old, each year.

So we hope when the United Way volunteers come calling this fall, you’ll think about these agencies and their efforts. And we encourage you to give to the Pike County United Way.

It’s an investment in our future.