DHHS Volunteers helped with the 2013 campaign kickoff at Haywood Gym.

Mark Gogal welcomes the representatives of 17 of the organizations supported by the Combined Campaign, and encouraged DHHS employees to become involved and find their passion for service.

DHHS employees kicked-off the State Employees Combined Campaign for 2013 with a free brunch, representatives from 17 charities, balloons, speakers and door prizes at an event held Sept. 19 at Haywood Gym on the Dix campus.

About 100 DHHS employees from divisional and administrative offices on the campus attended the festivities.

Mark Gogal, director of DHHS Human Resources, addressed the group on behalf of Secretary Wos. He shared about his own involvement in charity work and challenged the group to participate as contributors and as volunteers. He said that the Secretary had already made her pledge and encourages others to consider giving to charities that are important them.

“With a Department as large as DHHS, even the smallest contributions add up and can make a difference in peoples’ lives and help these charities attain their goals,” he said. Being new to the department, Gogal said he was impressed to learn that since 2002 DHHS has given more than $4 million to the various charities of the SECC. “That’s phenomenal,” he said, adding that “it proves what a caring workforce we have at DHHS.”

Susan Kluttz, secretary of the Department of Cultural Resources, appointed by Gov. McCrory to chair the statewide 2013 SECC campaign, also attended the DHHS kick-off event. In her remarks she mentioned the important work done by the more than 1,000 charities that are supported through the campaign.

“Many of the people who receive help from our charities are the same people you serve in your jobs every day,” she said. She thanked everyone for their daily efforts to help fellow North Carolinians and encouraged them to consider making a donation to the charity of their choice. Kluttz spoke with DHHS employees and representatives of some of the charities on hand for the kickoff event. She said she was pleased to see so much activity and such good team work from the DHHS campaign volunteers.

If you have not received your paper pledge forms and giving guides, they should appear in your work areas soon. There is an ePledge option for you to make your donation online. Since each ePledge is unique to the recipient, the ePledge email should not be forwarded to anyone else.

If you want more information, find your local SECC volunteer or contact Sandra Trivett, DHHS department executive for the SECC campaign this year, at Sandra.trivett@dhhs.nc.gov.