An increased presence by the United Way in Abbeville will not include an office.
It’s the $6 million question, said Marisel Losa, president and CEO of United Way of the Lakelands.
“If I had a dollar for every time people asked about a building ...,” she said Friday. People ask her that all the time. There is interest, but not enough funds. It will not happen this year.
Losa made a presentation at Abbeville City Council’s January meeting. She said the United Way has only two campaigns in Abbeville — the city and WCTEL — and expressed a wish to develop more.
It would be wonderful if the community and the industry boost efforts to participate in campaigns, she said. Interested parties can contact either her or Margie Blalock, the chapter’s director of resource development.
Interest does exist. Council members talked with her about the United Way’s work, she said.
During the past year, the United Way has delivered more than $1 million in assistance in Abbeville, Losa said at the meeting.
The amount of reinvestment in Abbeville is considerably higher than investment the chapter gets from Abbeville, she said Friday. “We can certainly do more for them if we had that opportunity,” Losa said.
All groups are welcome to be part of the United Way, from small businesses to large industries.
“We are going to stay positively optimistic and optimistically positive,” she said.
Contact staff writer Robert Jordan at 864-943-5650.
