Moore County neighbors rally to raise $25,000 as America turns 250

Summer is running out, and so is the clock on a campaign asking Moore County to do something Americans have done for 250 years: show up for the people next door.

United Way of Moore County has set a goal of raising $25,000 by Labor Day, contributed by 250 individual neighbors, as part of a summer campaign called “250 Neighbors for 250 Years.” The number is not accidental. It mirrors the nation’s 250th anniversary this year, and organizers say that milestone is exactly the point.

“For two and a half centuries, this country has been built by neighbors,” said Linda Pearson, President of United Way of Moore County. “People who showed up, pitched in, and took care of each other when it mattered most. This summer, we’re honoring that spirit in our own communities.”

The campaign runs through Labor Day, with donations going toward community support across the organization’s core focus areas of education, health and financial stability. That flexibility matters, Pearson said, because it means every gift supports the community broadly, not a single program or line item.

The campaign also serves as a warm-up act. It leads into United Way of Moore County’s 2026 campaign kickoff on September 2, anchored by a fire truck pull event with the Southern Pines fire department.

Organizers of the 250 Neighbors campaign are especially focused on reaching first-time and lapsed donors, people who have never given to United Way of Moore County directly or have not given in the past year and a half. Every gift counts toward the 250-donor goal, no matter the size, and every email, social post and story shared during the campaign is also building broader awareness of United Way of Moore County’s work in the community.

United Way of Moore County leadership says the campaign is about more than dollars raised. It is an invitation for the community to come together, the way neighbors have for 250 years, at a moment when the need has not slowed down even as summer winds toward its close.

“Summer is almost over,” said Chairman of the United Way Board, Andrea Burton, “the need is not. This is our chance, all of us together, to show what 250 Moore County neighbors can do.”

Donations can be made online at unitedwaymoore.com or bit.ly/250neighbors, or by check mailed to United Way of Moore County, PO Box 207, Southern Pines, NC 28388.

United Way of Moore County was formed in 1968 and is one of the longest-standing nonprofits in Moore County. The organization works together with local nonprofit partners for the betterment of education, health and financial stability across the community.

July 30, 2026

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