December 22, 2008
Dear Fellow Nebraskans:
As we prepare to celebrate the season of giving and spend time with friends and families, I want to highlight some of the efforts made by state workers this year who give back to their communities. This is a time when many of us donate to a favorite charity or volunteer time to make the holidays brighter for a family in need.
Those efforts make a difference. When the workforce of state government comes together to donate to a cause, the impact is multiplied by the ability to draw on resources among our three branches of government and offices in communities across the state.
Each year the personnel division of the Department of Administrative Services coordinates several outreach efforts that benefit nonprofit groups. In April, state employees in Lincoln donated food and cash contributions as part of the State Campaign Against Hunger. This year’s event raised nearly $18,000 in cash donations and more than 20,000 pounds of food for the Food Bank of Lincoln.
Each August the Nebraska State Employees Charitable Giving campaign give employees wherever they work the opportunity to donate to a network of charitable organizations across the state. Participating employees can make a cash or check donation or set aside a portion of their earnings to benefit more than 400 organizations across Nebraska. This year’s charitable giving campaign was very successful. It raised more than $348,000, which was an increase of nearly 20 percent over the past year
The money donated by state workers makes up an important portion of funding for many of these groups. Last year, State of Nebraska employees donated approximately five percent of all the funds received by Nebraska’s 19 United Way chapters.
Contributions have helped agencies assist individuals and families impacted by severe storms and natural disasters, provided education and support to Nebraskans with chronic illnesses, supported public radio and television, and helped make youth sports and other development programs available in Nebraska communities.
This campaign provides a convenient way for state workers to support hundreds of charitable groups serving Nebraskans in all corners of our state. Because need knows no season, it also allows their contributions to make a difference all year long. In addition to what they give throughout the year, many departments have developed their own traditions of giving during the holidays.
For more than 20 years, the Nebraska Military Department has been extensively involved with the Operation Santa program in Lincoln. The Lincoln office of the Department of Roads has packed up boxes of clothes, coats, personal care items, and food and delivered donations to a capital city shelter for the past 15 years.
Within the Department of Health and Human Services, there are many examples of offices pooling resources to give back. Some offices organized fundraisers and used the proceeds to help the families they serve buy school supplies for their children. Health and Human Services teams also collected contributions to buy gifts for children and nursing home residents at Christmas.
This year, Department of Agriculture staff adopted an agriculture family in need to provide presents and items that will make for a memorable holiday. Several departments are sending care packages to co-workers and others who are deployed overseas and can’t be home for the holidays.
These are a few examples of how State of Nebraska workers give back. There are also countless examples of kindness and thoughtfulness on display in schools, offices and families across our state at this time of year.
Nebraskans are very giving and very caring people. To all those who have taken time to make the holiday season brighter for someone else in our state, thank you for your generosity.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays and best wishes for a great 2009.
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