HASTINGS, NE - The United Way of South Central Nebraska announced Tuesday that it raised $635,420 in its annual campaign. The total exceeds the non-profit's lofty goal of $600,000.

Jodi Graves, Executive Director of United Way of South Central Nebraska, says the money is from here and stays here.

"That money all stays to impact our four county area that we served last year, the agencies and the programs that we fund directly impacted just over 25,000 individuals," Graves said. "There's about 46,000 people in the four county area. So more than half of the population is directly impacted by United Way funding.”

The United Way of South Central Nebraska supports more than 40 crucial health and human service programs in Adams, Clay, Nuckolls and Webster counties.

The United Way also announced the Bridging Forward program. It’s an effort to engage the community and put all on a path to stability. The goal is to reduce poverty by 30% by 2030.