MED personnel step up for charity

Published Aug. 31, 2010
Col. Ron Light presents (left to right) Roger Thomas, Middle East District’s 2009 Combined Federal Campaign coordinator, Bev Roy, and Mary Powell, both key volunteers, with an award from the Office of Personnel Management. MED increased its CFC contributions by more than 60 percent from 2008 to 2009. The 2010 CFC begins in October. Photo by Jan Dove.

MIDDLE EAST DISTRICT, Winchester, Va. – The Middle East District increased its overall donations during the 2009 Combined Federal Campaign by more than 60 percent over the previous year and played a large role in the Northern Shenandoah Valley region’s award winning campaign.

As MED begins preparing for its 2010 CFC, which is scheduled to kick off in October, Col. Ron Light, commander, MED, presented last year’s team with a National Performance Award from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. MED received the award after seeing a more than 100 percent increase in participation, said Light, who traveled to Washington D.C. in July to receive the award on behalf of the team.

While there was an increased number of participants, including Transatlantic Division personnel, a large increase in donations came from MED’s field offices, according to Roger Thomas, Chief of Construction-Operations Division, MED. Thomas oversaw this year’s effort for the district.

“MED had an exceptional team last year,” he said. “Key workers were getting the information out to personnel about the benefits of CFC and did an excellent job raising money for a worthwhile cause.”

Thomas believed the organization was setting an ambitious goal in an attempt to raise $35,000. However, MED raised $52,807 for charity. It was the largest amount raised by an organization in the Northern Shenandoah Valley region, and was the greatest percentage of increase from 2008 to 2009 of all campaigns in the U.S.

“The most encouraging aspect of our 2009 campaign was the increased participation,” said Thomas. “Charitable donations from our district more than doubled from last year’s numbers, and far exceeded even our own goals.”

“Giving back is an essential part of being in a community,” said Light. “MED’s outstanding contribution reflects an increased sense of community and camaraderie that I am very proud of. Charitable giving is always a personal decision, and I am glad that so many people at MED made that choice.”

According to the Office of Personnel Management’s website, the mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost-efficient, and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.

CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, with more than 300 CFC campaigns throughout the country and internationally to help to raise millions of dollars each year. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.


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Erick Barnes

Release no. 13-032