The cooler weather we experienced during the last several days of August and the beginning of September have once again served as a reminder that we are headed into a different time of the year.

Students are settling into classrooms for the year, we’re three weeks or so into the high school football season, pumpkin-spiced everything is available just about everywhere and store shelves already are filled with Halloween candy and decorations — as well as items for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It all means we’re headed into a busy time of year, when activities seem to stack on top of one another. And among the things that return to our attention this time of year is the annual fundraising effort of the United Way of Jefferson County.

This year’s campaign got under way Aug. 28 at the JeffCo Event Center, when 100 or so supporters gathered for a breakfast prepared by Scaffidi’s Restaurant and Tavern and served by members of the Wintersville Woman’s Club before spreading out around the community for the United Way’s Day of Action.

The Day of Action is exactly what it says it is. Volunteers from all segments of the community donate their time and talents to give back to the agencies and organizations that provide vital services to residents throughout the region. One group, for example, might do painting at the office of an agency. Another group might help spruce up the outside of a building or perform cleanup work along city streets. In the past, a group of volunteers helped to assemble a complete playground set at a local daycare.

It’s all about helping the people who help the community.

That’s what the United Way is about, and why it’s important that it reaches the fundraising goal of $325,000 for this year’s campaign. Money raised will go to assist the efforts of the 11 member agencies and organizations. Those dollars matter — according to Tony Mougianas, vice president of the United Way board, those agencies and organizations will have an impact on the lives of 20,000 or so residents of Jefferson County.

Pulling it all together is Executive Director Marci Snyder-Crawford. This will be her first campaign — she was hired for the post a little less than two months ago.

“So, this is fantastic,” she said. “Seeing all of you guys and reaching out and meeting all of you guys.

“From day one, I’ve been surrounded by the warmth of the community and inspired by the incredible work of our partnering agencies,” she added.

According to Mayor Jerry Barilla, that’s important.

“The whole key to this organization is helping people,” said Barilla, who was this year’s Day of Action honoree. “We’re supposed to help people. If you don’t do that, how are we going to get where we are going?

“Helping people — that’s what the United Way has done for years, and that’s what it continues to do.”

The United Way has some important fundraising events planned for the next couple of months.

On Sept. 20, Steubenville’s Jim Wood Park will be the site of the fifth-annual Suzanne Kresser Memorial 5K Run/Walk/1K. This year’s event will include a virtual component. The competition will begin at 8:30 a.m. that day. The event is held in the memory of Kresser, a longtime executive director of the United Way who was involved in numerous activities and events throughout the area until she died of cancer in 2021 at the age of 51.

Attention will be focused on the St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville on Oct. 8 for the return of the Taste of Jefferson County. This will be the 29th-annual edition of the event, which gives area residents a chance to sample offerings from numerous area restaurants and bakeries. There will be many drawings as well, with all of the proceeds going to help the United Way.

Snyder-Crawford said that since she was named executive director, she has been able to see firsthand the work of the member agencies, and she has been impressed. She said she wants to see that list of agencies expand.

“To our volunteers, our donors and our agencies, I want you to know that in this position, I plan on working really hard for every one of our agencies, for every family in need and for every neighbor who deserves hope. I’m committed not only to supporting the agencies we already have, but to expanding the agencies. I want to add more partners and build stronger bridges so no one in Jefferson County is left behind.”

It’s all possible thanks to local businesses and members of the community who donate their money and their time, and who are always willing to step up to help when they are asked. And, as Snyder-Crawford reminded, that’s something everyone can do every day.

“Remember — not just today, but every day — let’s live united,” she said.

(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times. He has served as a board member and board president of the United Way of Jefferson County.)