Russell said every week of the campaign was different and came with its own set of challenges and victories.
“It’s hard to pin down a moment to say it was a highlight; I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many people and learn so much about our community,” she said. “I learned there are organizations on base I didn’t know existed. I also discovered all sorts of charitable services I didn’t know were out there.
“Mostly, I have enjoyed seeing the passion for service – from the CFC volunteers, the charities, the federal employees who are looking for a better way to serve their community – I love seeing the altruism,” Russell said. “It’s great to be surrounded by such positivity and to know we are all working to make the community stronger.”
Leonard said he was proud the Ohio CFC is third in the world in donations.
“I attribute that to all of the awareness events that were held this year: from chili cook-offs, to Lunch & Learns to weekly mini charity fairs, to a great golf outing again this year.”
Russell and Leonard also agreed that volunteers are the lifeblood of the “Show Some Love” campaign.
“CFC is always heavily reliant on the volunteers – the campaign managers and keyworkers who decide what sort of awareness events to host,” Russell said. “I’d attribute the success of the campaign to their enthusiasm and planning. They are proving Dayton really is #daytonstrong.”
Himelhoch pointed to the concept of "Giving Tuesday", a global day of giving celebrated the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year's Giving Tuesday falls on Dec. 3, which occurs while CFC still is in full swing. Its details may be found at https://www.givingtuesday.org.
“The big local push ended Nov. 15, but you can donate online through Jan. 12; paper pledges are due in the CFC office Jan. 6, so there is still plenty of time to contribute,” Russell said.
The CFC office will remain open for business after the loaned execs return to their regular job duties.
Donors may pledge money and/or volunteer hours with ease electronically or by using paper pledge forms, which can be downloaded by visiting Ohio CFC's website: www.ohiocfc.org. Pledges can be fulfilled by payroll deduction through 2020 pay, as well as by credit and debit card giving, and personal check. Charities also may be researched through this site, regardless if one is contributing.
To contact Himelhoch, call 937-257-0292.
“This has been a really enjoyable experience,” Leonard said. “It was wonderful to get to work with so many charities, to meet their folks and hear their stories. Every charity has a story; it was so heartwarming to realize how much good they all do. Every charity in CFC is deserving.”
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