In recent weeks, Director Diane Baker’s office at the United Way of Mower County has been filled with boxes to collect coats, mittens, hats and outerwear items for the annual coat drive for children.

As the holiday season approaches, the United Way is entering its busiest time of year by taking a little different approach to its biggest projects, such as the coat drive and its 2015-16 fundraising campaign.

“I really feel like we’re growing beyond what we have normally done,” Baker said.

After it exceeding it $1.1 million 2014-15 campaign goal by raising about $1.14 million, the United Way set its goal at about $1.2 million to support 25 local agencies.

“It’s not really so much a goal, it’s the need — what we feel is the true need,” Baker said.

The United Way of Mower County kicked off its 2015-16 campaign last month, but it didn’t hold a major kickoff. However, United Way leaders met with its investment volunteers — or liaisons — who meet with the 25 agencies who receive United Way funding to identify gaps in the community.

“It’s not just about raising money, but it’s about working with the community on the best way to solve some of these problems, and I think that’s really our job is to engage and understand what’s going on so we can make a difference,” Baker said.

 Working with schools

One way the United Way is working to gauge and fill that need is by working with Austin schools.

“I think they are a really good indicator of what’s going on in our community,” Baker said.

At the schools, United Way sees a lot of basic care needs. Cameron Johnson, United Way of Mower County project coordinator, even heard a story of a boy who was going school with his dad’s shoes and the same clothing.

“We really want to work with the schools to help address those issues,” she said.

The United Way aims to help fill that need through things like its backpack program and its coat drive.

Traditionally, coats were given out through a one-day give-away event typically held each year at Oak Park Mall. But Baker and other United Way leaders feared the short time window was inefficient and nixed people who worked or weren’t able to pick up a coat at that time.

So this year, the United Way is working with schools to identify children who need coats. The children and their families will then pick up their coats at the United Way offices at 201 S. Main St., where the coats are being stored.

“We’re going to try to fill that need as it comes in,” Baker said.

“Our thought is that it will be a little bit more effective that way,” Johnson added.

The United Way’s coat drive focuses on coats for children, while adult coats are available for those who need them through vouchers at the Austin Salvation Army.

Thus far, the United Way is still in the collection phase for the coat drive, and it’s communicating with schools about the new setup for the program. Through the drive, they also seek coats, hats, mittens and essential attire.

“The kids on the playground are the ones that are truly needing the coats,” Baker said.

With a mild autumn to date, Baker and Johnson expect to see more children and families seeking the coats once the weather turns colder.

 Signs of need

But the schools aren’t the only way to gauge community need.

Statistics also show the need for programs the United Way funds. In 2000, Mower County ranked 38th out of the 87 Minnesota counties in terms of individuals living below the poverty level. By 2012, that percentage had increased and Mower County dropped to 72nd out of 87.

“Obviously, we were shocked by some of the poverty statistics,” Baker said. “But it really goes along with what we’re hearing from the schools as well.”

With Austin’s unemployement around 2.9 percent in August, United Way leaders see that the people in Austin are working but still need help.

“In a few years, we’ve seen a lot more poverty come into our area,” Baker said. “These are working families. Our unemployment is very low.”

This year, Johnson said they’re working hard to promote their four focus areas when explaining what the United Way does: education, income, health and basic needs.

They’ve added icons denoting those four focuses on all campaign billboards and print materials concerning the United Way’s campaign as one way to promote the message of what the United Way does for the community.

“We want people to identify with those,” Baker said.

With Austin’s poverty levels, basic needs programs, along with some of the income programs, have been in the forefront in recent years due to some of the poverty numbers in town.

“They’re meant to stabilize people’s lives,” Baker said.

The goal is to eventually see the basic needs met as families are stable and to then see the focus shift toward health or education programs.

But Austin does face challenges. For example, refugee families move to Austin with limited resources.

“That makes Austin challenging and great at the same time, because we do have all this diversity” Baker said. “While it can create some challenges, it’s an opportunity for us to create a really diverse, unique community.”

The overall fund requests have been tracking over a million dollars for a few years, which gradually bumped the United Way’s fundraising campaign goal over $1 million.

The campaign broke the $1 million donation mark in 2011 and raised $1.03 million last year. Though the United Way has garnered more donations over the past five years, those 25 agencies feature 56 programs asking the United Way for more money each year.

“We still were not able to satisfy all of the requests, but we’re getting closer,” Baker said.

The United Way supports the community backpacks through the Salvation Army, SEMCAC’s Senior Dining, and the annual autism camps at the Hormel Historic Home.

Some programs don’t need much money to succeed. Programs like the science fair mentoring  the science fair mentors through Austin Public Schools organized by Catherine Haslag.

“The science fair mentoring, it’s not a lot of money, but it makes a huge impact, for a large number of kids,” Baker said.

United Way also works with the Lady’s Floral Club, which works with new mothers deemed at-risk by providing them with books and reading materials. Home health nurses meet with the mothers in the hospital to talk about literacy and reading to children. United Way funds the books given to new moms.

“That’s another one of the programs that is just brilliant,” Baker said. ”Not a lot of money, but it goes a long way.”

 A successful start

Last year was one of new starts for Baker. After serving on the United Way board, Baker’s first campaign as director was a success, reaching a record $1.14 million.

“That was a little unbelievable, exciting for me,” she said.

She joked that makes her a little nervous heading into this year, as she wishes she had a magic formula for reaching a goal every year.

However, she and Johnson are hard at work on the 2015-16 campaign, and they’ll go talk to businesses that want to learn more about the drive.

“We need to continue to educate people,” Baker said. “We need to continue to engage people in the United Way at all levels, because that’s what’s going to make the difference for us is if people understand and buy in and support what we’re doing and the good work we’re doing with programs that we’re supporting. That’s how you make a difference.”

But as in past years, help is on the way. Some of United Way’s largest annual contributors have already started their pushes to raise money for the United Way’s annual campaign. Hormel Foods Corp.’s corporate office kicked off its campaign drive a few weeks ago after raising $275,919 for the 2014-15 drive, and Hormel’s plant is kicking off its push soon with the help of its Helping Hands program after raising $150,895 last year — both were records. Quality Pork Processors raised $143,362.

“The people here are very generous,” Baker said. “I never cease to be amazed at the level of support that we get here. People listen and they want to help. They sort of band together to figure out how we can solve these problems. It sure makes my job easier knowing people care.”

 Programs and agencies supported by the United Way

Education •American Association of University Women: Science Fair Mentoring Students

•Apple Lane Child Care: program scholarships

•The ARC Mower County: Our Place Recreation Center

•Cedar Branch: Social/Life Skills

•Girl Scouts: Girl Scouts ConnectZ

•Hormel Historic Home: All Access Community Explorations, Circle of Friends Day Camp, Camp Just for Me

•Ladies Floral Club: High Risk Literacy Intervention Nurses

•Mower Council for the Handicapped: Peer Activity Group

•Parenting Resource Center: Partnering with Parents

•Twin Valley Boy Scouts: Outreach Program, Traditional Program •Mower County Mentoring

 Income

•Cedar Branch: Financial Coaching, Thrift Store, Work Program

•Cedar Valley Services: Competitive Placement, Supported Employment •Parenting Resource Center: Catherwood Scholarship

•Workforce Development: Workplace Success

•Welcome Center: Client Development

 Health

•Apple Lane Child Care: Nutritional Eating for Healthy Children

•Adams Ambulance: Ambulance Transportation

•The ARC Mower County: Special Olympics

•Catholic Charities: Family and Individual Counseling

•Cedar Branch: Therapy Services, Client Services Charity Fund

•Children’s Dental Health Services: Dental Prevention, Oral Health

•Crime Victims Resource Center: Victim Services

•Mower Council for the Handicapped: Medical Equipment Lending

•Mower County Seniors: Volunteer Transportation Programs

•YMCA: After School Program, Youth Membership

Basic Needs

•American Red Cross: Disaster Services •Apple Lane Child Care: Hot Lunch Programs

•The ARC Mower County: Advocacy and Family Services, Abuse Prevention

•Habitat for Humanity: Brush with Kindness, Home Build Program

•Mower Council for the Handicapped: Advocacy, Food Support •Mower County Seniors: Advocacy, CHORE

•Parenting Resource Center: Crisis Nursery, Parents in Poverty and Transition

•Salvation Army:Backpack Program, Community Meals, Emergency Lodging Shelter, Rent and Utility Assistance

•SEMCAC: Senior Nutrition, Housing Assistance

•Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services: Government Benefits