The end of the year is approaching, and with it comes the end of the Portage Plains United Way (PPUW) annual fundraising drive.

The campaign's lagged this year, and was at times in danger of falling well short of the $247,500 target. Executive Director Mandy Dubois says contributions have picked up recently, and they're now within reach of the goal. With nine days to go, the campaign is at the 82% mark -- about $40,000 shy of the target.

"Annually the community seems to step up for us and we always seem to reach that goal or get close," Dubois says. "I think we're in good shape again this year."

The 11 member agencies that rely on PPUW funds to provide community programming and services won't likely experience any major changes or cuts, Dubois adds, even if the campaign falls a bit short.

"We're getting so close. Of course we would like to get to 100% and ensure our member agencies get the full amount of funding they need," she says. "But we're getting close enough that at least they're going to get the support to continue those programs and services without having to making any drastic changes."