Last month, the United Way of Eastern Maine launched its annual fund-raising campaign with hopes of raising $2.4 million. The money will be used to support 74 health and human services programs at 45 partner agencies.

Last year, the agency received more than $3 million in donations and grants, money that was used to send 1,025 children to summer camp and to recruit 3,300 volunteers who invested their time and talent to improve communities throughout the region.

This year, United Way is launching several new initiatives. One is to distribute more than 12,000 books to children across eastern Maine to increase literacy. It has also begun two new after-school programs in Bangor and Old Town and has provided grants and assistance for food and fuel to displaced workers. Working with a local food bank and union, United Way provided more than 24,000 pounds of food to workers who lost their jobs because of the downsizing of the Georgia-Pacific mill in Old Town.

The agency is also launching a program called Young Leaders to encourage business and professional people under the age of 45 to become community volunteers and leaders. The program aims to increase the level of giving from donors aged 20 to 40, while also recruiting new volunteers for local organizations. A training session will be held to introduce young leaders to the duties and benefits of serving on boards of directors.

An increasingly popular United Way initiative is the “Acts of Kindness” campaign begun after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Nearly 2,000 people, most of them schoolchildren, have volunteered in their communities or undertaken service learning projects as part of the campaign.

A recent community assessment found widespread concerns about how children spend their after-school hours. National statistics show that juvenile crime triples from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., when many children are home without adult supervision. To address this concern, the United Way advocated for a new after-school program in Bangor, which is now being run by the YMCA and YWCA. In Old Town, the United Way partnered with local groups to expand an after-school program and to secure a $450,000 grant for that work.

For 67 years, the United Way of Eastern Maine has raised money to help feed the homeless, shelter the abused, care for children and encourage volunteerism and community involvement in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo and Washington counties.

So, when asked to give to the United Way to support these efforts in your community, please be generous.