This year, the United Way of the Upper Valley anticipates reaching out to more than 23,000 people in the area by providing housing, healthcare, family and other critical services. Dartmouth itself aims to provide a healthy 20 percent -- the College's annual average -- of the funding needed to run these much-needed non-profit services.
Faculty and staff have long been lauded for their generous donations of time and money to the campaign. But what about the student body? Last year, Dartmouth's approximately 5,400 undergraduate and graduate students donated only $400 to the UWUV, less than two percent of the College's total contribution.
This year, one Dartmouth society has come close to doubling last year's figure in its first week of fundraising alone.
The Order of Omega, a community service organization composed of Greek-affiliated students, has taken over the role of organizing the student contribution portion of Dartmouth's United Way Campaign. Three determined '05s have volunteered to chair the Order's campaign, setting a lofty goal of $10,000.
Mary Reynolds '05 and Nicole Valco '05, members of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and Katherine Heyman '05 of Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority, have begun the funding drive on campus by setting up tables in Food Court, accepting donations in cash or from student accounts. The first night of the drive, they raised an impressive $500. The initial success has bolstered their confidence about achieving their ambitious goal, they said.
"When we first heard [about the $10,000 goal], it seemed overwhelming, but we're already five percent there. When you think about how little each student would have to give, we really thought we could do it," Reynolds said.
"If every student gave two dollars, we'd meet our goal. That's definitely possible," Valco added.
Bill Hochstin, who works in materials management at the College, is the volunteer chair of the Dartmouth United Way campaign. He said he is pleased with the work that the members of the Order have done for his organization.
"I'd like to thank the Order of Omega for their commitment and support for the United Way," Hochstin told The Dartmouth. "I've been amazed at their enthusiasm, ideas, energy and desire to help others through our United Way campaign."
The co-chairs of the Order's campaign, which began Monday and will run through the end of Winter term, have big plans for upcoming fundraising events. These include possibly selling mugs and t-shirts, holding bake sales cooperatively with Greek houses and a gala benefit concert, Reynolds and Valco said.
They added they hope to engage Dartmouth's competitive spirit with penny wars and contests among dorms and student groups, challenging each to out-fundraise the other.
Dana Hanson, a campaign associate at the UWUV, was enthusiastic about working with the Order of Omega.
Hanson spoke highly of the more than 125 members of the Dartmouth community who currently volunteer for the UWUV's campaign and throughout the Upper Valley in diverse United Way-sponsored organizations. The UWUV provides assistance to almost one in three people in the area.
Valco echoed Hanson's sentiments. "The Dartmouth community is a really charitable community, if you provide them with an outlet to give," she said.
