Natasha Goss and Angela Lane, 2024 United Way Co-chairs

Ohana means family in Hawaiian, and it’s also the theme for this year’s United Way of Toombs, Montgomery, and Wheeler Counties fundraising campaign.

The 2024 campaign kicked off Thursday with Natasha Goss and Angela Lane as co-chairs.

Goss said, “Ninety-nine cents of every dollar raised locally stays right here in Toombs, Montgomery, and Wheeler counties. Every penny counts that is raised during this campaign. So many lives are touched right here at home.”

The fundraising campaign will run through mid-November with the funds raised supporting nearly 20 local agencies.

“In the meantime, our volunteers will be out in the community trying to raise those funds,” Lane said. “Each division has set goals to reach the overall goal so if somebody comes to you and asks for a contribution or to buy a raffle ticket, please do. We serve folks from the cradle to our senior citizens.”

After the campaign wraps up in November, a committee will review applications from agencies to determine how much each agency will receive of those funds.

“Every bit of that money will be divided locally, stay locally, and we oversee the money local,” Goss concluded.

The campaign goal for 2024 is $475,007.