The Washington University in St. Louis community is encouraged to donate to, and volunteer with, the 2023 United Way of Greater St. Louis annual campaign. Launching this week, the campaign will raise funds to support over 160 local nonprofits and more than 1 million people in the 16-county region.
“The United Way and WashU share a long history and common mission,” said Lisa Weingarth, senior advisor for St. Louis initiatives and chair of WashU’s United Way campaign. “Supporting the United Way is an important way that we at WashU can show that we are ‘in St. Louis, for St. Louis.’”
The university aims to increase employee engagement for the 2023 campaign, both in financial contributions and volunteer efforts.
In addition to donating, community members have opportunities to volunteer on campus by assembling kits of reading materials and bags of dental hygiene products, at 11 a.m. Oct. 24 in Umrath Hall Lounge, on the Danforth Campus, and at 11 a.m. Oct. 26 at the Eric P. Newman Education Center, on the Medical Campus. Staff and faculty also are encouraged to volunteer at an organization of their choice or to organize a group volunteer project with their department or division. Volunteers may submit a selfie to unitedway@wustl.edu to enter a drawing for a prize.
Kerri Morgan, an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the School of Medicine, has observed up close the vital role the United Way plays in St. Louis. Morgan is both a volunteer and a collaborator with Paraquad, a large and leading disability organization supported by the United Way.
“Paraquad is an important organization in St. Louis, as it offers services and programs that promote equity and independence for persons with a disability,” Morgan said. “As a person with a disability and a health care professional, I have seen and lived the inequities of not being able to meet physical activity goals.
“My work with Paraquad has given me an opportunity to support needed services in our area. But more importantly, it has helped me to continue to learn and grow from others with disabilities about their life experiences and the work we need to do in our community to better support persons with a disability.”
The 2023 United Way Campaign concludes Nov. 17.
