Lindsay France/University Photography

Cornell's John Gutenberger and his wife, Mary, sort donations for the Tompkins County United Way Campaign.

More than 7,000 pounds of nonperishable food, personal care items and school supplies were collected for the Sept. 20 Stephen E. Garner Day of Caring at Stewart Park. The cargo included 12 boxes of school supplies to benefit students in Ithaca and Dryden schools and 11 boxes of personal care and nonperishable food items designated for flood relief that will be distributed by the Food Bank of the Southern Tier.

The items were donated by Tompkins County residents and participants in the second annual Stuff the Bus drive held by students from Cornell, Tompkins Cortland Community College and Ithaca College. Gadabout Transportation Services provided a bus to collect donations at the three campuses and transport them to Stewart Park.

Participants at the noontime Day of Caring program kicked off the county United Way campaign, commemorated the 90th anniversary of the United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC) and organized the goods from the food, personal care and school supplies drives.

UWTC County Community Campaign Chairs -- Nancy Fuhr Bonn and Fred Bonn, and Mary and John Gutenberger, senior director of Cornell's Office of Community Relations -- announced the county goal of $2,151,000, a 2 percent increase from last year. They also cut a 90th anniversary cake in recognition of the generosity of donors who have helped the UWTC respond to the needs of generations of people.

The Cornell United Way Campaign is already under way. For the fifth year, Cornell students designated the proceeds from the A Cappella United concert toward the Cornell campaign goal; the Sept. 17 concert raised more than $7,000. "Cornell University has a proud tradition of public engagement in the Tompkins County area," said Paul Streeter, Cornell's United Way chair, after the gathering. "In fact, Cornell student, faculty and staff contributions make up more than one-third of the United Way of Tompkins County's annual funding to our local service providers."

Cornell's goal for 2011-12 is $805,000, also up approximately 2 percent from last year's goal. "We know our Cornell community will rise to the occasion again and help us exceed our goal," said Streeter. Cornell United Way pledge cards will be distributed across campus the first two weeks of October, he said.

United Way campaign gifts can be designated to specific organizations and to United Way campaigns in other counties as well as Tompkins. Supporting local health and human services and programs, the UWTC has also identified needs in seven areas that it targets through its Community Care Fund: basic needs, child care/early learning, crisis services, financial stability/building self-sufficiency, health/environment, seniors and youth. Because the United Way Corporate Cornerstone Partners fund the administrative and operating expenses of UWTC, every dollar raised in the campaign will go directly back into the community.