Decatur, IL – This year, more than 50% of Richland Community College’s employees gave back to their students through the annual Employee Giving Campaign. This is the highest participation rate in the campaign’s history.
Between October 26 and November 3, employees gave $28,000 to the campaign titled “Together We Give, Together We Grow.” As part of their donation, employees designated where their funds would go – whether it be to the greatest needs of the College, the Student Assistance Fund, Investing in the Future Scholarship Fund, Project Read Plus, The Pantry at Richland, or The United Way. The areas with the highest designated dollars were Greatest Needs of the College and the Student Assistance Fund, with each area receiving more than $6,000.
“Faculty can’t effectively teach students whose minds are worrying about financial hardships,” said Gregg Marcello, Associate Professor of Biology. “To me, donating to the employee giving campaign is one small way in which I can try to help students focus on their academic success.”
Richland’s Director of Institutional & Academic Planning, Teena Zindel-Williams, expressed a similar sentiment. “I started my giving history when I was a part-time employee because even then I knew that I could make a difference, no matter the size of my gift. That philosophy has not changed forty + years later, although the size of my gifts has.”
The annual Employee Giving Campaign began in 2018, and since that time, the Foundation has raised more than $150,000 to support student success.
Julie Melton, Assistant Vice President of Institutional Advancement, said, “The Richland Employee Campaign themed ‘Together we give, together we grow,’ signifies a monumental step forward in addressing our students’ needs and eliminating the barriers that hinder their educational path. These funds will play a pivotal role in providing financial assistance, academic support, and essential resources to create a more inclusive and accessible learning environment, ultimately changing the trajectory of students’ lives.”