Several Miss-Lou businesses have been asked to help set the pace this year for the United Way’s community impact campaign.

The annual fund-raising drive seeks pledges to help support agencies that touch just about every person in our community.

Groups receiving funding range from social service agencies such as Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army to children’s organizations such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and 4-H.

United Way agencies have contributed countless acts of kindness and aid for our community over the past year alone &045; meals served or delivered to the elderly, children’s activities sponsored, nails hammered by Habitat for Humanity.

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

Those lives might be the women and children taken in by the Guardian Shelter or the families helped by Red Cross or the Salvation Army.

The businesses chosen Tuesday as &uot;pacesetters&uot; have been asked to complete their employee fund drives early, to help set an example for all of us in the community.

We are looking forward to what these companies will do to help promote United Way and fund the various agencies that make such a difference for so many people in our community.