Mesa United Way is inviting residents to make a donation to its Community Chest and enter “The Happiest Sweepstakes on Earth!” to win a Disneyland vacation and other prizes.

When is “dirty money” a good thing? When the business that hosts the annual Tough Mudder event in east Mesa gives a hefty chunk of the proceeds to Mesa United Way.

If your household income is under $50,000, taking the “EZ” path to tax-return preparation could cost you dearly. Mesa United Way invites you to use its free tax service to ensure you get all the tax credits you may be entitled to.

“I had no idea!”

Everyone is familiar with the Salvation Army’s bell ringers, who raise money during the holiday season to help the poor. In addition, funding from Mesa United Way helps support the Mesa Citadel Corps’ recreation, education and music programs for children, as well as its emergency food pantry.

Mesa United Way is looking for volunteers to help low-income East Valley residents prepare their 2012 tax returns. Volunteers will help individuals, families, seniors, people with disabilities and those with English as a second language prepare and file their income tax returns free of charge, said Don Jensen, program manager for Mesa United Way.

Mesa United Way's 2012-13 pledge campaign has surpassed 27 percent of its goal, and leaders of the effort say they hope the holiday spirit will provide an additional boost during December.

Nine-year-old Mychiel Fair Jr. loves to count his Goldfish crackers out loud before popping them into his mouth. He feels around the top of his desk to make sure he hasn’t missed any, then picks up his little abacus with brightly colored beads and begins to count again.

Mesa United Way is inviting qualified non-profit organizations to apply for funding from its 2013-14 Community Chest. Representatives of interested organizations must make reservations and attend one of two pre-application meetings this month. Applications will be accepted beginning Nov. 1.

When Eric Rodriguez was 7 years old, the Grant Woods Branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley became his second home. Today it’s still his second home — and also his livelihood. He’s been the branch executive for the past three years.

With so many people struggling during these tough economic times, charitable organizations like Mesa United Way face an enormous funding challenge. Needs are greater than ever, yet many of our donors have had to cut back on their contributions.

The Mesa United Way officially kicked off its 2012-2013 campaign Wednesday with a goal of raising $2.825 million to fund agencies that serve the community’s most vulnerable residents in need.

The Mesa United Way officially kicked off its 2012-2013 campaign Wednesday with a goal of raising $2.825 million to fund agencies that serve the community’s most vulnerable residents in need.

Most people want to help worthy causes, but many wonder whether their hard-earned dollars are actually going to assist people in need. News reports that some charities have overstated the good they do or used large portions of donors' dollars to pay for administration and fundraising can make us skeptical.

Despite a number of accomplishments, the Mesa United Way’s 2011-12 campaign fell short of meeting its $2.825 million goal by $136,588.

Helen’s Hope Chest, Mesa United Way’s clothing bank for foster children, needs your help to restock for back-to-school season. There are two ways to help:

If you’re having trouble affording your prescription medications, just text the word “family” to 700700 to save up to 75 percent on the cost of your medicine. “It really is that easy,” said Mesa United Way President Dan Wollam.

The East Valley has raised $2,622,312 so far for the Mesa United Way 2011-2012 Pledge Campaign, a fundraiser that’s been a little tougher to pull off this year because so many residents and businesses in our community who donated in the past are still recovering from recession. In fact, the United Way upped the goal to $2,825,000 this year because of an increased need by people who haven’t needed assistance before.

May 10 was a red-letter day for Helen’s Hope Chest, thanks to a donation from Valley charity Season for Sharing and 14 volunteers from Keller Williams Realty who participated in the company’s annual RED (Renew, Energize, Donate) Day at the clothing closet for foster children. The workers took a small mountain of laundry to local laundromats and installed plumbing and electrical for a new commercial washer and dryer purchased with the donation.

If you’re planning to buy a new car, Mesa United Way encourages you to donate your old car to help people who are still struggling to make ends meet. It’s quick and easy, including same-day pickup, and you can get a sweet tax deduction.

“Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.” — Plaque at the entrance to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

For many foster parents in the East Valley, it’s a struggle to provide the children in their care with clothing. State subsidies to foster families are low and usually inadequate to meet the monthly clothing needs of growing kids. So a few years ago, Mesa United Way opened Helen’s Hope Chest, 415 N. Pasadena, a free clothing boutique for children in foster care.

As of Thursday, April 19, donors had contributed $2,265,074 to the Mesa United Way’s 2011-2012 Pledge Campaign, an increase of about $30,000 over the past few weeks. The goal is $2,825,000, so about $560,000 is still needed. The campaign ends on June 30.

With little more than two months to go in the 2011-12 pledge campaign, the Mesa United Way is offering potential donors an additional incentive for helping their neighbors in need: the chance to win a Disneyland vacation.