City Employees Vow to Give Thousands of Dollars to Charities

Budget Cuts Create Dire Situation for Charitable Organizations

Austin city employees have begun its month-long campaign to give to charitable organizations as the season of giving gets underway.

Every year, Austin city employees raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local, regional, national and international charities for the Combined Charities Campaign.  It began in 1993 and has raised more than $9 million in its 17 years through payroll contributions and special fundraising events.  More than 500 approved charities benefit from the campaign.

"Funds raised help support our community and better all of our lives, whether they are used to research the prevention or treatment of diseases, provide a variety of services for individuals in need or to protect the most basic of human needs - air and water, everyone benefits as a result," said Karen Sharp, who chaired the campaign last year.  "Every year these contributions are critical to thousands of people here in the Austin area and around the world."

The program is one of the strongest payroll contribution giving campaigns in central Texas.  The donations are especially important since many charities have had to cut services due to the recession.  "This year we face new and different challenges, but based on the campaign’s track record, city employees have the spirit of sharing and giving and I know we will work hard to exceed last year’s contributions," said Sharp.

Last year, employees exceeded donations from 2007 by 6 percent, bringing in $761,000.

Photo: Donna Ripple (l), Jo Hendrick (r) and other volunteers sort donated food items at the Capital Area Food Bank on October 20, 2009.  Items must be cleaned, checked that they are not perishable, meet CAFB standards and are then organized by food type.  Courtesy, The Austin Chronicle