Washington University in St. Louis employees are encouraged to give their time and financial support to the annual United Way Campaign. A joint effort of Human Resources, the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and the Institute for Public Health, the campaign aims to raise $775,000. That money supports 170 service organizations across the region.
“Washington University and the United Way share a common mission — to serve, to educate and build healthy communities,” said Legail Poole Chandler, vice chancellor for human resources. “By supporting the annual United Way campaign, we support our families, neighbors and colleagues, so many of whom depend on the United Way.”
Employees may make a contribution through HRMS. All donations, big and small, make an impact, Chandler said. For instance, a gift of $10 per month would provide 12 pairs of eyeglasses for a senior in need or 12 inhalers for a child with asthma.
And for the second year, Human Resources and the Gephardt Institute have joined together to help employees find volunteer opportunities in the St. Louis region through WashU Engage. Opportunities range from providing vision screenings to children to driving senior citizens to Sunday services to pitching in at civic events.
As an added incentive, Washington University will provide employees a one-time opportunity for matching time — up to a half-day — to conduct their service. Employees must volunteer through stlvolunteer.org/wustl and complete their service between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30. Requests for time off must follow standard department or school procedures and must be approved in advance. Visit the Engage and Volunteer site for details.
Stephanie Kurtzman, the Peter G. Sortino Director of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, said WashU Engage is cultivating informed and actively engaged citizens.
“We know from listening to our employees that they want to make a deeper impact in their community,” Kurtzman said. “The United Way Campaign provides the perfect opportunity.”
To learn more about the campaign, visit unitedway.wustl.edu or speak to a United Way Ambassador. More than 100 employee ambassadors from every campus are working to make the campaign both successful and fun.
“It is incredible to see the support and passion from our dedicated ambassadors, university leadership and employees,” said United Way Campaign co–leader Amanda Pope, Human Resources communications and employee engagement manager. “Together, we can make a difference in the St. Louis community.”
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