We at the Storrs campus have a lot of new features to help us take part in this year's Connecticut State Employees Giving Campaign. Most importantly, there is the ability to give online at https://www.givingmatters365.org/_ctemployeegiving/
Additionally, we’ve asked some employees who’ve routinely given to this campaign to tell us why they give and how they decide which charities to give to. We will share their stories with you periodically at http://csec.uconn.edu and in the Daily Digest.
Here’s what Catherine Little, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology in Storrs told us.
Why I Give: Catherine A. Little, Ph.D.
Part of why I give to this campaign is that it’s easy — it’s an easy way to feel like you’re contributing, like you’re giving back to an area of need without taking up much time.
It’s easier than responding to every single envelope that comes in the mail. You get so many requests to give, especially this time of year, that it’s hard to keep track. And with a lot of them, once you give they ask for more. I have a hard time keeping track — did I send them money? When did I send them money? With this campaign, it’s easy to keep track and to know I didn’t underdo it or overdo it — and to feel good about it. And if you do it for long enough it doesn’t hurt because it just comes out of your paycheck!
One of the things that’s both an advantage and a challenge is the sheer number of organizations you can give to. It is overwhelming and includes so many things that I would care about — but logically and prudently I can only do so much.
The last couple years I’ve been giving to Doctors without Borders, because it is doing good things in far away places where there’s nothing I can do to help at this time in my life but give money. And then every year I pick a different charity that’s local, perhaps an arts organization in Hartford or the Hole in the Wall Gang camp in Ashford.
The news is always overwhelming — there is such a need for help in our own communities and all around the world. Sometimes I just want to drop everything and go somewhere in the world to help. Instead, at least I can do this — and the campaign really makes it very easy to do.
For more information, contact: Paula Enderle at paula.enderle@uconn.edu