“SLCC’s Employee Giving Campaign reflects the commitment of our faculty and staff to our students success; this year our donations topped $22,000.”
Morgan Wampler, Development Officer with Institutional Advancement, says this year’s Employee Giving Week at South Louisiana Community College started optimism and ended in enthusiasm. The employee supporters of SLCC rose to the occasion of this year’s campaign, Pie It Forward. The end of the week tally: $22,879 raised by individual supporters.
“These donations mean so much to the SLCC Foundation. Also, they highlight how much we, the employees of SLCC, believe in our mission. Every dollar is invested back into SLCC and therefore back into the community,” explains Wampler.
Formed in 2003, the SLCC Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization with a mission to foster private financial support for SLCC. Wampler says it is important that the faculty and staff realize that Employee Giving Week isn’t just about giving to the Foundation, it’s also about appreciation.
“Giving financially is wonderful, but our faculty and staff at SLCC do so much day in and day out. During Employee Giving Week, I’m able to visit with everyone and thank them for their continued support in a variety of ways.”
This year’s Pie It Forward campaign thanked employees with delicious pies, but for many, the pies were just a bonus. Karen Lestelle, who is an executive administrative assistant in the Corporate College says that SLCC Employee Giving Week gives her a chance to make a difference in a way that she knows will have a real impact. An impact that she can see every day when she comes to work.
“From the early days of my career I’ve always believed in giving my time and money to education. I support the SLCC Foundation through a donation to student support because I know it will help someone achieve their dream of attaining a credential or college degree to gain employment,” explains Lestelle.
Donors can choose how their funds will help shape SLCC’s future. The Foundation raises funds in support of students, critical programs, and employees at SLCC. However, the true goal of Employee Giving Week is participation and this year’s efforts gained 41 new donors; the campaign highlights the power of the individual and how every dollar truly adds up.
The donations collected during Employee Giving Week are felt throughout the college campuses. One recipient of a scholarship funded by the SLCC Foundation is Gabrielle Brown. She is in the Practical Nursing Program on the Acadian campus. Brown explains that the scholarship has eased a substantial burden.
“I am a wife, a mother, and have been a CNA since 2016. The scholarship is life changing. Being able to finish my program means a better life for myself and my children.”
Brown’s situation, and the unique situation of many students helped by the SLCC Foundation, resonates with Ariel Dauzart, an assistant professor in STEM and Transportation:
“We teach at a community college because we believe in helping people reach a new level in life. These aspirations are hard to attain for many reasons. We have students that are non-traditional, yet they are coming back to improve their lives. It’s important to remember all the reasons that people come to a community college. We are a community and communities help each other.”
SLCC employees who want to donate to the SLCC Foundation don’t have to wait until the next Employee Giving Week in 2023; anyone is able to donate year-round. For more information on the SLCC Foundation and how employee donations make a difference visit https://www.solacc.edu/about-us/slcc-foundation