Moorhead — Dan Klug, major gifts lead for United Way of Cass Clay, told the Moorhead City Council on Nov. 10 that the nonprofit has funded dozens of local programs that together are preventing homelessness and addressing childhood hunger, but that substantial need remains.

"We are making a difference," Klug said, listing results he attributed to United Way partners: 2,763 individuals were prevented from experiencing homelessness in the last 18 months; 739 children were enrolled in high-quality early-childhood programs; and more than 3.8 million pounds of food were distributed through partner agencies. He added: "1 in 9 individuals or 28,000 individuals live in poverty right now in our community." Klug described those figures as the basis for continued fundraising and volunteer recruitment.

Klug explained United Way’s local funding process and oversight, saying the organization convenes a 53-person community impact review panel that evaluates funding requests and recommends grants to the board of trustees. He said verified impact partners deliver services across homelessness prevention, food distribution and early-childhood supports, and that roughly 98.5% of donations remain local under the organization’s funding agreement.

Council member Heather Niesmeyer asked about the timeliness and source of the data Klug cited, noting that local conditions have been changing rapidly. Klug said he did not have the reference in front of him at the meeting but offered to provide documentation after the meeting. "I don't have the reference or resource in front of me, but I can get that and work on getting that documentation back to you," he said.

Mayor Shelley Carlson and other council members thanked United Way for local partnerships and highlighted multiple ways for residents to give, including workplace campaigns and online donations at unitedwaycassclay.org. The presentation included an appeal for both monetary contributions and in-kind donations to partner food banks and mentoring programs.

The council did not take action on the presentation; Klug's remarks were provided for the council's information and to encourage community support ahead of United Way's local campaign period.