MONTAGUE — Eighty-seven-year-old Gill resident Joseph Parzych has lived alone since his wife died, but he remains active as ever.
To stay busy and social, he decided to try water therapy in the Greenfield YMCA’s pool.
“I liked it so much, that I stayed!” he said in a video promoting the United Way of Franklin County’s work.
The Y is one of the local partner organizations that community donations to the United Way help to support, and part of that funding lets Parzych keep swimming and stay active and engaged.
On Friday morning, United Way screened the video as it kicked off its annual fundraising campaign at the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast. The United Way this year aims to raise $750,000, enough money to continue supporting the work of organizations like The Y, The Literacy Project and The Girl’s Club of Greenfield
The organization supports 27 other partner agencies in the area.
The co-chairs for the 2017 campaign are John Howland, the president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank, and Sue Dillon, who recently retired from her own banking career.
Howland said he never pictured himself leading such a campaign two years ago, when he moved to Greenfield. At that time, he didn’t even know what the United Way was.
“I always thought it was this big national organization that gave money to big national charities,” he said.
Howland said he was amazed by what he learned about how the United Way works locally, and how it supports local agencies, when he was asked to co-chair the campaign.
“It’s a wonderful vehicle and it’s something we really support as a community,” he said. “I can’t understand why everyone doesn’t want to give to the United Way.”
He urged donors to consider how local agencies often work together to accomplish common goals, and not to decide against donating because they don’t favor one particular partner agency.
“United Way is a way to ensure your money gets spread around — it’s a wonderful thing,” Howland said.
Dillon said the region has a long history of neighbors helping neighbors, and she hopes to carry that forward as co-chairwoman.
“Here in Franklin County, we care about our neighbors, and I’m ready to take that care to the next level with John,” she said. “All the ways United Way helps with funding do so much.”
And the campaign appears to be off to a good start already.
Sandy Sayers, the United Way’s executive director, noted that she set a $100,000 goal for local business leaders to pledge ahead of the official kickoff, to give it a big push — and they exceeded that by $8,000 in just 10 days.
“Last year at this time, we had raised $29,000, so you can see why we’re excited, and we’re going to keep on this roll this year with our great campaign chairs and volunteers,” she said.
Sayers described the various issues facing the community that the organization’s partners face, including challenges to the elderly, childhood literacy, and helping those who need a little social support to make ends meet.
She noted a cornerstone of the organization’s success is the 1,200 average, everyday donors who give through payroll deductions.
“They’re the heart of United Way,” Sayers said.
You can reach Tom Relihan at: 413-772-0261, ext. 264
or trelihan@recorder.com. On Twitter, @RecorderTom