BY SANDRA TRIVETT, COMBINED CAMPAIGN EXECUTIVE FOR DHHS

Photo: Secretary Wos and Governor McCrory set an example by completing their SECC pledge form for Susan Kluttz, center, Secretary of the Department of Cultural Resources, who chairs the SECC Statewide campaign.

DHHS holds its major State Employees Combined Campaign kick-off on Thursday, Sept. 19, with a charity fair and brunch at Haywood Gym on the Dix Campus from 8:30 to11 a.m. The kickoff provides an opportunity for DHHS employees to step out, step up, and learn about some of the charities they may choose to support.

There will be door prizes and a treasure hunt to test skills for matching clues with the charities that will be present at the kick-off.  Everyone who correctly completes the form will be entered for an additional prize drawing.

Employees around the state will soon receive paper information about how to make their pledge and a list of charities to choose from.  If you would like to help with your local campaign, contact the person who provides you with that information.  As in the previous two years, employees with email addresses will also have the option to pledge electronically; this will start in early October. 

The department’s most successful campaign in recent years was in 2009. Funds and the participation rate lagged until 2011, when the participation rate slowly started to climb again.  Based on that, the department-wide planning committee established an overall department goal of increasing employee participation by 1 percent over 2012. To achieve this goal, local and regional coordinators are asked to set goals for their location and to make sure that everyone receives information about the campaign and has an opportunity to decide which charities they wish to support, and at what level.

Thanks for your support of the SECC.  Even though we hear that the economy is improving, there are many of our friends and neighbors and clients who continue to need charitable assistance. Your contribution, really does make a difference. So, join in and help us meet, or better yet, beat our goal of a 13.5% participation rate from DHHS for 2013.