If you've always tossed your United Way pledge card aside because the amount you can afford to contribute is too embarrassing to write down, think about this.

As little as $2.50 a week can provide nine hours of addiction counseling, a week of care for a disabled child, or a week of shelter, meals and counseling for a homeless veteran.

If you can spare $5 a week, your gift could transport a senior citizen to a senior center every day for a year, or fund one-on-one mentoring for three children.

Even if all your budget will allow is $1 a pay period, over the course of a year that money will feed several growling stomachs.

From curing disease to eradicating illiteracy to helping a youngster steer clear of drugs, there's a United Way Agency that can put your donation to important use, whether you live in Baltimore City or Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford or Howard county. Some programs serve the poor and homeless, others help people start new careers or learn to be better parents. In fact, one of every three people in Central Maryland has been served directly by a United Way program.

Often, the help is just a phone call away thanks to the United Way's "First Call for Help." The only statewide, comprehensive referral service manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week confidentially connects a person or family in crisis to a variety of community services ready to help.

Furthermore, all our lives are improved by such United Way-supported activities as blood drives, CPR training, and cancer prevention and treatment. In fact, the money Hopkins donated in recent years comes back almost 10-fold in research dollars. In 2000, Hopkins' researchers received $6.1 million in grants from Maryland and national United Way affiliates.

To ensure the funds go where they are needed most and that the programs are helping the people who need it, United Way representatives collaborate with community organizations and experienced volunteers to make funding decisions and monitor the programs.

Though not every Hopkins employee can give nearly $525,000 like Johns Hopkins Medicine leaders collectively did in 2001, every penny counts. So do what you can.

Check out the Web site for more information: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/unitedway.

Johns Hopkins Medicine 2002 United Way Goals Hopkins Hospital and Health System $350,000 School of Medicine $476,000 Health Divisions Administration $19,500 Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center $110,000 Johns Hopkins HealthCare $25,000 Howard County General Hospital $60,000 Johns Hopkins Home Care Group $20,000 Johns Hopkins Community Physicians $29,500 Total: $1,090,000