MOORE HAVEN — Glades County Board Chairman Tim Stanley welcomed Lisa Sands, Glades/Hendry manager for the United Way and the LaBelle United Way House coordinator, to give an update at the commission meeting Nov. 10 about the current UW fundraising campaign.

“We are working on our current campaign this year. We finished last year’s campaign and met our goal. So this year’s campaign, our goal is $306,620. Glades County has been a partner with us over many years by allowing employees to contribute through payroll deductions. Last year, you raised $1,430 through that campaign, so thank you for that. We are asking our agencies to budget for a reduction this year because fundraising is expected to be a lot less, because of obvious reasons.

“We have 22 agencies in Hendry and Glades counties that provide over 50 programs for the communities. Our Moore Haven United Way Health continues to be closed at this time because Hope Connections is our lead agency there, and they do serve the senior population. Most of their programs are being brought to the homes of the seniors, so they are continuing to serve the communities; they just aren’t bringing anyone into the facility at this time. We’ll update you as soon as we know when the facility will reopen, but we don’t have any timeline for that,” Sands said, handing out United Way packets with updated 2020 information. Also, she said, United Way is not expecting any more agencies to request help from Hendry and Glades this coming year.

She noted that the Harry Chapin Food Bank still is making food available to the needy once a month, while it was twice a month during the summer. and she thanked the county’s Public Safety Department and Emergency Operations Center staff for helping with that. “The Methodist Church has taken over that distribution,” she said. It’s on the last Wednesday of every month.

Sands noted that all the money raised in these counties, including Okeechobee, are directed toward agencies in all three counties, and Lee County covers administrative costs.

“We do have 17 United Way Houses throughout our area, one here in Glades, one in LaBelle, one in Okeechobee and the Clewiston one remains closed. We are looking for a new facility there. We’re working with Hendry County to open a new location in Clewiston.”

She presented a thank-you plaque to the board, which Chairman Stanley accepted, thanking Sands for all the help United Way gives to the county while someone snapped a picture. “You help our budget tremendously.”