MSNBC Report: Economy Hitting the Elderly Especially Hard

As each of you move forward in planning your company's 2008 United Way Campaign, are you having any of the following unsettling thoughts?

"I don't know how I am going to get my company's employees to give in a year when the economy is as bad as it is."

"My staff are paid low wages and I can't imagine asking them to make a United Way contribution now."

"My staff already feels they donate enough and I feel uncomfortable asking them to increase their giving when gas and food costs are so high."

If you have had similar thoughts cross your mind you are not alone. We all feel the strains on our wallets each time we make a trip to the gas station or the grocery store, yet there are many people right here in the Valley that can't afford gas at all; many of our relatives, friends or neighbors who sometimes have to make a choice as to what to pay for - their prescription medications, food, or their electricity bills.

Click here to read MSNBC's report on "Economy Hitting the Elderly Especially Hard." Then use similar messages when approaching your employees to give this year.

It is a known fact that when the economic faces difficulties and strains, more people than ever use the services and programs that United Way provides and yet less people give. Your role as your company's campaign coordinator is absolutely critical to making sure necessary services are available for people when they need it most.