Although the campaign has not quite wrapped up yet, it is clear that the United Way of Mower county has conducted another impressive fund-raising effort — and that the region will be better off as a result.

The United Way has reeled of a string of fund-raising successes and with last week’s announcement that the 2012 campaign had topped the $1 million mark, is assured of another success. Although fund-raising is about the money, the real significance of the United Way’s success is that almost all of that money is used to fund charitable and non-profit organizations in Austin and throughout Mower County, organizations that deliver the kind of services to people in need that don’t come from any other source. In a county where hunger, poverty and changing demographics present real challenges, community giving can — and does — make a big difference in many people’s lives.

We salute the United Way — and the thousands of county residents who support it financially — for making a difference in Mower County.