United Way, CHAD Launch $25-Million County Fund-Raising Drive

United Way of San Diego County and Combined Health Agencies Drive (CHAD) have kicked off their largest fund-raising campaign ever, setting their goal this year at $25 million in an effort to address problems they say affect about one-fourth of the county’s population.

With the theme, “Join In! Put People First in San Diego County!,” campaign volunteers will be asking for donations from more than 600,000 employees at 1,800 businesses. Individuals throughout the county will also be asked to participate.

The two groups are armed with dramatic data showing that real problems exist for hundreds of thousands of people in the county. They note that in 1985, 16.5% of the San Diego County population was living at or below the federal poverty level; that more than 42,000 cases of child abuse were reported, exceeding the number of live births by almost 4,000; that an estimated one of every six people in the county suffered from some kind of emotional or mental illness, and that the Normal Heights fire destroyed 60 homes and caused $8.5 million in damage.

“The campaign represents perhaps a slightly different approach this year in that some of the special needs of this community that are not necessarily obvious to those people are identified,” said Ted Graham, chairman of the board and president of CHAD. “These needs reflect changes in our society in something beyond the simple identification or treatment of diseases or the support of traditional community groups.”

The campaign, in support of a full system of health and human care services, raises funds for more than 340 programs provided by 96 United Way and CHAD health and human care agencies.

General campaign chairman John N. Hanson said Friday the county’s greater funding demands have come because heavy cuts were made in federal, state and local social and health care programs. A campaign official said $3.5 million was cut last year in federal funds to San Diego for health and human services.

Hanson, president of Solar Turbines Inc. and the campaign’s chief volunteer, said more responsibility has been shifted to the agencies and programs funded by donations.

He estimated that more than 500,000 people in the county received those services in 1985.

According to Graham, the two groups raised slightly more than $22 million last year.

“I think that the United Way/CHAD campaign represents the single most important element in support of (local health and human services),” Graham said. “I suspect that many of them would have a difficult time maintaining the level of services without the support of the combined campaign.”

Of the funds raised for the 1986-87 period, 27.3% will go to health and handicapped services, 21.6% to family support, 19.1% to youth development, 16.2% to emergency services, 11.3% to community development planning and education, and 4.5% to senior and adult services. Nearly 89 cents of every dollar given will go directly to agency programs.

Campaign officials said $3 million had been raised as of Friday through the campaign’s “pacesetter” effort, comprised of 21 local companies that began raising money before the official start of the campaign.

United Way and CHAD settled a five-year-long feud in May 1983, signing a 15-year contract to conduct joint fund raising for 99 area health and human service agencies. The two groups had discontinued mutual fund-raising efforts in 1978 after five years of combined campaigning because of differences over campaign proceeds.

“This is the third year of the combined United Way/CHAD campaign, and the joining of those two organizations has proven to be very effective in making the solicitation of campaign contributions as efficient as possible,” Graham said.