NATCHEZ &045; Contributors and charities listened to letters of gratitude at a United Way pacesetter lunch Tuesday at Carriage House Restaurant.

&uot;I can’t thank or praise Catholic Charities enough, you were our light at the end of a very dark tunnel, but thanks to your help, we can see the light. The foundation that helps you help others with utilities, groceries, gifts and many other things, I hope you will share this letter with them,&uot; wrote a woman whose family received aid.

Although funding and numbers of the past year’s achievements were a significant factor at the lunch, true to their slogan, the United Way focused on what mattered to their organization.

&uot;Numbers are important but not as important as the lives we’ve saved,&uot; United Way Director Kathy Stevens said.

United Way mobilizes the community to target problems and make changes in our community, she said.

Employees from contributors like McRae’s and Britton & Koontz Bank sat with workers from United Way agencies like the Sunshine Shelter and Salvation Army. The lunch was to honor companies and contributors that help jumpstart the funding campaign, said Jimmy Hibbs, a member of the United Way board.

&uot;Without them we could do nothing,&uot; he said.

Hibbs said the lunch also provides a chance to show the contributors what direction the organization will be going for the following year. United Way’s fund-raising goal has not yet been set, but what the pacesetter companies contribute will help set the overall goal.

Ninety percent of all proceeds go to charities and aid organizations in the Miss- Lou area. Money is raised through business funding and donations and personal donations from citizens, as well as fundraising events.

Some businesses have organized fundraising campaigns with their staff that include incentives, like a day off or dinner at the CEO’s house, for employees who contribute.

The campaign film during coffee and dessert said the organization’s targets are healthcare coverage, affordable housing and family childhood development among other aids.

Chairman of the Board Doug Nigreville remarked on the organization’s place in the community.

&uot;There’s been a lot of good things in our community, and United Way is one of the better ones,&uot; Nigreville said.