Annual Report of the Community Service Committee
of the Employee Forum
June 30, 2020
Members of the Committee*:
Jim Potts (Blood Drive), Arlene Medder (Carolina Community Garden), Kevin Robinson, Mary King, David Rogers, Tracy Wetherby-Williams, Dori Brady, Rich Brandenburg, Dzenita Blackwell, Melisa Campbell, Morgan Douglas, Travis Wilson, Christy Baldridge, Margaret Barrett, Amber Brosius, Tarah Burnette, Breana Castonguay, Michelle Collins, Jessica Ferrall, Michele Fulton, Charulatha Gunachandran, Ashley Jacobs, Tanya Jisa, Sarah Leck, Joanna Luke, Kate Palmer, Barry Ramsey, Cheyanne Ritz, Christy Samford, Korie Sawyer, Teresa Scaggs, Jia Shen, Samantha Sites, Kewana Smith, Nikki Somers, Hope Woodhouse,
*Includes non-delegates who are not required to attend
Members Who Left the Committee During the Year*:
Ashley Belcher (Co-Chair), Myka Elliott (Co-Chair), Katie Musgrove, Steve Bodeen, Todd Hux, Rich Wright, Lisa Geeslin
*Includes non-delegates
Meetings of the Committee During the Year (June 2019-June 2020):
Committee meetings: 6/12/19, 8/7/19, 9/11/19, 10/02/19, 11/14/19, 12/12/19, 1/23/20, 3/12/20
Blood Drive meetings:
Holiday Drive:
Meetings: 9/12, 9/26, 10/17, 11/21, 12/3, 12/5, 12/19 (wrap-up meeting)
Drive: 12/10
Summer Drive:
Meetings: 3/17, 4/2, 4/16, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28, 6/10 (wrap-up meeting)
Drive: 6/2
Carolina Community Garden meetings (quarterly): 8/28/19, 4/1/20 (cancelled)
Plant a Tomato event planning: 2/14/20, 3/13/20 (event cancelled)
Report Prepared By:
Arlene Medder (Interim chair)
Committee Charge:
This committee develops and manages the community service initiatives of the Employee Forum, while also serving as support for the Carolina Blood Drive and Carolina Campus Community Garden, which are both sponsored by the Employee Forum. This committee, in coordination with members of Carolina Center for Public Service and other campus organizations, will host various community service events throughout the year, as well as publicize various other opportunities to get involved. This committee will ensure that we as staff of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seek to foster an active and engaged commitment to our University and the wider community.
Committee Goals/Objectives for the Year:
In partnership with HR, create a community service leave promotional campaign; to inform and educate staff about the availability of the leave and how to use it.
Improve committee website and work with Carolina Center for Public Service to provide more volunteer opportunity information to staff.
Organize and publicize new events: Disaster Relief Trip, animal shelters, Special Olympics, water ways clean up, Coat Drive, Wildlife Reserve, et al. Look for opportunities for staff to use CSL on University Closed days.
Spread the word among organizations to come to Carolina Center for Public Service or us with volunteer opportunities.
Have a table at the Employee Appreciation Event October 18th.
Previous Forum Concerns Continued:
Partner with HR to create standardized form employees can use to request CSL.
Due to HR shortages, a small-scale media coverage about CSL with a short video was made. When HR Is more available work to create a new video, with wider distribution.
Repeat projects from last year: Toy Drive, Food Drive, Habitat Build, help with Blood Drives (December & June), Plant a Tomato Event (If Garden manager Claire Lorch agrees)
Report of Activities
Habitat for Humanities build, a total of 24 volunteers, 12 each on 2 shifts helped build a house in Hillsborough on Octobe 25, roofing project in Hillsborough.
Planting pond flora for Outdoor Recreation Tuesday, September 24. Volunteers solicited via email blast.
Promotional video made: https://www.unc.edu/story/serving-north-carolina/
Toy Drive for UNC Children’s Hospital. Boxes set out around campus, collected 21 boxes on Dec 20 & delivered to UNC Children’s Hospital.
Blood Drive at Woollen Gym 12/10/20 Over 90% of goal at 314 units. (We also had 40% no-show rate for appointments so getting even close to goal was amazing!)
Volunteers: 50
Blood Drive at Dean Smith Center 6/2/20 Goal of 790, made 808 units!
Volunteers: 140
Volunteer opportunities spotlighted in Intouch with a short blurb and contact information
Plant a Tomato, Give a Garden event planned (cancelled)
Recommendations/Motions of the Committee and Action Taken
None.
Suggestions for Next Year’s Committee
Return to successful projects and maintain continuing support of the Blood Drives and the Carolina Community Garden.
Maintain contact with HR regarding standardized CSL request form and CSL promotional campaign (subject to availability of HR staff)
Located volunteer partners to spotlight in InTouch