Join Forces for Doing Good in the Neighborhood

Chris Simmons and other Duke Federal Relations staff members have all donated to Duke’s annual giving campaign for seven straight years.Simmons, Duke’s associate vice president for federal relations, said he and his colleagues make it a priority to give back to Durham and the communities surrounding Duke, even if some of his coworkers live out-of-state. “Part of it is creating that environment in your workplace that you can have those honest conversations about what’s important to the larger good, then conveying and acting on those values,” Simmons said. “If someone gives $5 out of their paycheck every month, it’s something that that person probably won’t feel, but it will be felt greatly by others.”Join Simmons and other employees in the Duke-wide effort to donate or volunteer during “Doing Good in the Neighborhood” Oct. 19 through Dec. 4. To make a donation, there are three ways to give: The Duke@Work self-service website; Duke’s secure giving website, or through the United Way of the Greater Triangle to a non-profit of choice. The campaign is organized by the Duke Office of Durham and Regional Affairs and benefits organizations in the Triangle. Employees can choose to donate to six giving categories: health, schools, neighborhoods, youth empowerment, the United Way of the Greater Triangle, or the Community Care Fund, which supports the creation of competitive grants to local non-profits for community projects.This year, the goal is to increase employee participation, said Phail Wynn, Duke’s vice president for Durham and Regional Affairs. Last year, 1,395 employees donated $654,420.“Collectively, Duke faculty and staff can make a significant difference in Durham through our community-based philanthropy,” Wynn said. “The more colleagues that join us in this effort, the more of a positive impact we can make in Durham.”Rose Porges, a senior administrative assistant in Duke’s Office of Audit, Risk and Compliance, and her colleagues donate a minimum of $2 to wear jeans on Fridays year-round, and that money supports nonprofits through the Doing Good in the Neighborhood campaign. Porges and her coworkers pick a different nonprofit to support every quarter. Past organizations they’ve helped include the Duke Habitat for Humanity chapter; Genesis Home, which provides shelter and support services to homeless families; and Crayons2Calculators, which provides free school supplies to teachers.“You can find an area that speaks to you, that you’re passionate about,” Porges said. “As Duke employees and as citizens of our community, it is important to know how to be involved.”Join the campaign by visiting the Doing Good in the Neighborhood website.