Barr addresses Rotarians

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SIDNEY — Scott Barr, executive director of the Shelby County United Way updated his fellow Rotarians on United Way initiatives during a recent weekly meeting of the Sidney Rotary Club.

Barr showed the 2016 campaign video, which was made at Sidney High School by a three senior students and their teacher, Greg Snyder.

“The goal for this year’s campaign is $1,325,000, which is the same goal as last year,” said Barr. “Even though we had a very successful year last year, when we raised around $1,383,000, we were very strategic in the climate for what we are facing, and we were very intentional when we decided to keep the goal the same.”

Barr described the agency’s Impact Program.

“We have a family counselling program available in all of the local communities,” he said. “So far, we have had more than 300 families participate in the program.”

Another program highlighted was Imagination Library, which provides books to youth in the community.

“We are the only Imagination Library community today that is enrolling children at birth from the hospital,” Barr said. There currently are 1,866 children enrolled. They receive age-appropriate books each month.

“More than 1 out of 2 children that you see in our community are getting books from birth, and we have already had more than 35,000 books mailed in the 18 months,” since the program began, Barr said. This is a preventative program, where the goal is to help kids become preschool ready.

Staff report

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