Kevin Smith had given to the United Way for many years but did not get the chance to visit many of the agencies it funds until this year.”I’ve learned that through the United Way, you get to give to many good causes, not just one,”&160;said Smith, co-chairman of this year’s fund-raising campaign along with Cliff Merritt.And on Friday, the public will get to see for themselves what the area1s United Way-funded agencies do. That is when, to kick off this year’s fund raising campaign, the United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou will hold an agency fair from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Natchez Wal-Mart.There, several of the 27 local agencies that receive United Way funds will hand out brochures and answer questions about the services they provide.Agencies will include Boy and Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, the Sunshine Shelter, Adams County Lifeskills, the Adams County Council on Aging and the Humane Society.A similar fair will be held from 9 to 11:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Ferriday Wal-Mart. Agencies will include Concordia 4-H, North River Counseling, the Concordia Council on Aging, the American Red Cross1 Central Louisiana Chapter, Central Louisiana Girl Scouts and the Ouachita Valley Boy Scout Council.This year, the chapter hopes to raise $315,000. That is down from the $317,640 raised last year because of economic trends in the area &110; especially layoffs at International Paper and H.B. Zachry, which usually make up 67 percent of funds raised by the campaign.”But I think that if we work really hard, we can make that goal,” said chapter Director Nancy Webster.Meanwhile, four local companies will be starting fund raising campaigns even before this year’s United Way campaign officially begins Aug. 15. Those businesses will include:-United Parcel Service, starts its campaign today.-Natchez1s Wal-Mart, which will begin raising money Friday.-International Paper, whose campaign will begin Aug. 12.-Ferriday’s Wal-Mart, whose employees will begin giving Aug. 13.