‘A solution for people’

IUB exceeds United Way goal; county sets a record

By George Vlahakis

Simpson

A long tradition has tied IU students to both community fundraising and community service. Some of the faces you see here (photos immediately above and below) are IU students and children at an enrichment program in South Bend sponsored by IU’s Office of Community Outreach and Partnerships in Service-Learning. A contingent of IUB students spent spring break living at Potato Creek State Park near South Bend and working at the program. Another group of IUB students worked at The Rise, a transitional living community, and at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of Monroe County, during the break. Still other IUB students spent their “free” time working with a government program that serves infants and children in Guanajuato, Mexico. In Chinle, Arizona, IU East nursing students compiled data for a school health initiative and worked with public health nurses at the Navajo Nation.

Barry Lessow, UW board president and county campaign co-chair, said the $639,044 raised at IU was 106 percent of the $600,000 goal. Overall, the “Solutions for People” campaign raised $1.72 million, which was a record for Monroe County.

IU co-chairs Christopher Simpson, vice president for public affairs and government relations, and Dorothy Frapwell, university counsel, ran a “model campaign” according to Lessow.

Lessow credited a strong IU team of over 150 dedicated volunteers with “making exciting things happen” this year. He said that the generosity and many creative partnerships between IU donors and the social service community will create “thousands of innovative, effective and self-determined ‘Solutions for People.’”

“Leadership is just one part of the campaign on campus,” said Frapwell. “More than 200 IUB employees took on various leadership roles on campus to help educate their colleagues about the 26 United Way agencies and many other eligible not-for-profit groups that employees assisted through their campaign donations.”

Simpson, who also served as the community campaign co-chair, added, “The true spirit of a university is reflected by its contributions to the community, and the United Way is an excellent example of this stewardship. Every IU employee and student who participated in this drive deserves congratulations for the success achieved.”

The Vanguard Leadership of donors contributing $1,000 or more involved 206 IUB employees, compared to 175 the previous year. One-third of Vanguard donors increased their pledges by 25 percent or more to take advantage of a new matching opportunity provided by the Indiana Association of United Ways and Lilly Endowment. Total matching funds were more than $78,000.

Student participation was important. For example, students involved in organizing Greekfest, one of the largest events of its kind in the nation, raised $5,200.