It’s an intimidating mountain to climb.

The mountain Lycoming County United Way has begun to climb measures $1.725 million for this year’s fundraising campaign.

The record goal speaks to the needs of Lycoming County’s human services agencies, which are as great as the fundraising target implies.

In the coming months in workplaces large and small in the county, employees will be asked to give to the United Way campaign. Given the tight squeeze of most family budgets in the county, they will wonder, justifiably, whether this is a donation worthy of the expense side of their ledger.

This is a harder decision if your life is “normal.” That is, your child is not hungry, handicapped or struggling with literacy or domestic issues. You have never had a fire at your home, or become involuntarily economically disadvantaged. You have no elderly people in your family with daily needs. For those fitting that description, consider yourself lucky beyond words. And then transfer that reality into the inspiration to give what you can to the United Way campaign.

The human services program partners of Lycoming County United Way handle many more needs than the ones listed above. And they do it on budget shoestrings. So every bit of the $1.725 million the campaign is seeking is needed.

The compassion of the county’s residents is great, as evidenced by giving to past United Way campaigns. It needs to continue.

Whatever you give, you can rest assured it is as good a use of your money as you can have. And you will get that warm feeling inside that only giving from the heart can produce.