NEWPORT — Members of the Northern Kentucky United Way hope to raise nearly $4 million over the next year to help people like Alice Bush raise money.

        Mrs. Bush is a resident of a Newport apartment building that houses the East Side Senior Center, where money raised by the United Way provides bingo, exercise programs and Meals on Wheels.

        “There are a lot of people who live in the apartments but who can't really get out much,” Mrs. Bush said Wednesday during the kickoff of the United Way's 2001 fund-raising campaign.

        “But because of the United Way they can exercise, get something to eat and socialize with people while they're playing bingo,” she said.

        Raising mainly money from employees at businesses, the United Way allocates

        money to 21 social service agencies in Northern Kentucky.

        Over the next year United Way hopes to raise what would be a record $3.95 million, fund-raising campaign chairman Philip J. Schworer said.

        Last year $3.9 million was raised.

        Mr. Schworer, a lawyer with Greenebaum Doll & McDonald in Covington, admitted some concern that with the economy, raising a record amount could be difficult.

        “We have set an aggressive goal, considering the tough economic climate we're in, but I think we can meet it,” Mr. Schworer said. “Indeed, we have to.

        “The needs met by social service services are not in tune with the ebbs and flows of the economic market, and that means we need to dig deeper to help provide important services like job placement and child care programs,” he said.

        United Way has already reached about 20 percent of its goal. A number of Northern Kentucky companies and organizations, now known as Pacesetters, have raised $843,961 for the 2001 campaign.

        Barbara Howard, executive director of Redwood Rehabilitation Center in Fort Mitchell, said United Way gives about $700,000 annually to the center.

        “That's about a quarter of our budget,” Ms. Howard said. “The way we look at it is we provide about 250,000 hours a year of vocational, technical and educational rehabilitation. If we didn't have the United Way, we would have to cut a quarter of those hours and a lot of people wouldn't get the help they need.”

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