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Officials highlight Mifflin-Juniata United Way

MIFFLINTOWN — Juniata County Commissioners proclaimed January 2025 as United Way Month during their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 31.

“The organization is celebrating their 90th anniversary,” said Colette Hartzler, United Way executive director.

The United Way’s mission is to improve people’s lives by mobilizing the caring power of the community.

They aim to make these improvements by raising funds for each of the 16 agencies that applied for funding and were vetted by the community for programs that function in education, health, and income.

They fund a program in the Mifflin and Juniata School district called Nurse’s Pantry.

“It provides basic items to students who are in need, and the main goal here is to cut down on excessive absenteeism,” said Hartzler.

Items provided to students include lice kits, clothes, shampoos etc. The school nurse or administrator purchases these items and the United Way will reimburse them.

“We know the best way a child can thrive is education and educational experiences. We want kids to stay in school and have those opportunities,” added Hartzler.

United Way also partners with Mifflin Juniata Human Services agency to provide help with heating costs during the annual Walk for Warmth event.

The Walk For Warmth is a Walk-a-Thon to raise money for the Mifflin-Juniata Energy Bank and is slated for Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Kish Park.

“Funding this year has been very low and we have been very concerned about how we can make this stretch. Thankfully up to this point, it has not been an overly cold Winter. We are getting some donations to bump it up and that has been a welcome surprise,” said Hartzler.

“The United Way of Mifflin Juniata has also just finished an awesome day on December 18; we have been able to partner with the Pa. State Police for the last four years to host a day called Shop With A Cop,” said Hartzler.

The United Way and state police fundraise, organize, and spread publicity for this event.

Night at the Races located at the Kish Innovation Center-Reedsville is the next United Way event coming up on Jan. 25, 2025.

For more information about this event or the United Way please visit mjunitedway.org.

Commissioners also…

• Approved reappointing Douglas Brubaker and David Clark as the agricultural members for a three-year term on the Juniata County Agricultural Land Preservation Board of Directors as well as appointed David S. Stetler as the Municipal member for a three-year term. Mr. Stetler replaces I. Charles Diem;

• Approved and accepted the resignation of Susan Yorks from her position as a full-time Clerical / Field Assessor within the Juniata County GIS-Assessment Office effective as of the end of business on Jan. 5, 2025;

• Approved payment of the checks in the amount of $623,139.96 and in the amount of $71,544.71;

• Approved the tax exonerations for Mifflintown Borough and Susquehanna Township;

• Approved the hiring of Susan Yorks as a full-time Deputy Prothonotary with the Juniata County Prothonotary’s Office effective Jan. 6, 2025, as well as acknowledged the hiring of Barry Kearns to fill an existing Sheriff Deputy vacancy effective Jan. 13, 2025;

• Shared that on Dec. 18, 2024, the Court of Common Pleas of the 41st Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Juniata County Branch, approved the County’s request to increase the millage limit levied on real estate from twenty-five (25) mills to thirty (30) mills, exclusive of debt service for the 2025 fiscal budget year. With that action, the provisionally adopted 2025 General Fund budget, which was approved on Dec. 17, 2024, officially becomes the 2025 final budget.

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