NORWICH – With less than a month remaining to donate to the Chenango United Way’s 2011 Campaign, Executive Director Elizabeth Monaco reported they’ve reached the 80 percent mark, approximately $345,000 toward a $435,000 goal.

According to Monaco, the majority of the companies which annually donate to the Chenango United Way have now reported in, and she projected another $40,000 to $45,000 in funds would make their way in prior to Dec. 31, when the campaign officially ends.

Agencies submitting applications for 2011 had originally requested approximately $588,000 in funding, stated Monaco, who said that, if the local United Way falls short of its 2010 campaign total of $425,000, there will be a number of important programs that will not receive funding. Many of these programs have relied upon this money for years, she added.

“We have to get as close to our goal as we possibly can,” said Monaco. “Companies and individuals across the board are struggling and several yearly campaign contributors are down nearly 50 percent from last year’s totals.”

Monaco said she believed it would be extremely detrimental to the community as a whole if organizations are forced to close their doors to the public, especially at a time when people are already struggling.