ESCANABA — The United Way of Delta County (UWDC)’s annual fall fundraising campaign has begun. UWDC Executive Director Julie Mallard said, while the organization’s fundraising efforts have been moving to a year-round schedule, its fall campaign is still important.

Mallard noted the shift is due to the fact some businesses do their United Way fundraising drives — which she said are at the “heart” of financial support for the organization — at other times of year.

“We want to cater to what the companies want,” she said.

However, the bulk of fundraising for the UWDC still takes place during the fall.

In previous years, the UWDC used a “thermometer” to display how close it was to reaching its fundraising goals each autumn. Mallard said she still sets internal goals for the UWDC’s fundraising efforts, but the organization no longer makes these goals a prominent part of its fundraising campaigns.

“We’ve gotten away from doing the public presentation of a goal,” she said.

Mallard noted the change was caused by multiple factors, including expenses associated with the use of the thermometers as campaign materials and a desire to focus on how the UWDC impacts the community as opposed to how much money it can raise each fall.

In addition to fundraising drives by local businesses, the UWDC is being helped out by a few events this fall. Last week, the Soup’r Chili Challenge was held in support of the organization.

UPtoberfest will be held to raise funds for the UWDC next month.

“That has become our largest fundraiser, thanks to the Bay de Noc Brewers,” Mallard said.

This year, UPtoberfest will be held in Ludington Park near the Karas Bandshell. It is set to take place on Saturday, Oct. 12.

While the UWDC does not have any other major fundraising events coming up, Mallard did note the organization has been supported in another way throughout the month of September.

“UPutt (Family Fun Center) has United Way as its featured charity of the month — specifically our Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” Mallard said.

Mallard said the Imagination Library program, which sends free books to children from birth to their fifth birthday, is operated by the United Way in Delta County in a partnership with the Dollywood Foundation.

According to Mallard, the United Way has traditionally focused on financially supporting other organizations.

“Now, we’ve also developed some of our own programming,” she said.

The Imagination Library has proven to be successful in Delta County.

“This month, when our order went in, it was for 1,000 children,” Mallard said, adding this marked the first time the UWDC had hit this milestone.

Other recently-introduced United Way programs include Little Free Libraries and Education Mini-Grants.

Though it has begun offering its own programming, the UWDC is also continuing to work with other organizations in 2019. Its funded partners this year include Bay Cliff Health Camp, Hope at the Inn, the Salvation Army and Tri-County Safe Harbor, among others.

The UWDC is also supporting some organizations for the first time in 2019 — namely, Delta Animal Shelter’s outreach programs, Delta County Nonmotorized Trails’ youth ski clinic and U.P. Foster Closet of Delta County.

Mallard said the UWDC receives no government grants or other funding outside of donations.

“We’re 100 percent community-supported,” she said.

She also said donations to the UWDC stay in Delta County, and even small donations can help.

For more information on the UWDC, or to make a donation, visit the organization’s website at www.uwdelta.org.