Willamette University

Classified Council

Not Unto Ourselves Alone...

Community Service

The 230+ Classified Staff of Willamette University raise money throughout the year and donate to national, state, county, city, and Willamette University causes including: The American Red Cross, Marion/Polk Food Share, and the WU Take a Break program.

Our biggest fundraising event of the year is the annual Holiday Luncheon held in the fall.  Classified employees partner with their departments or other employees to donate gift baskets, concert/theatre/movie tickets, gift cards, WU clothing, local artist's photos, plants, etc. for drawings at this luncheon.  The proceeds raised were distributed to local groups/charities:

  • 2006=$900.00 (three Willamette-related families)
  • 2007=$843.00 (three Willamette-related families)
  • 2008=$469.00 (three Willamette-related families)
  • 2009=$1225.00 (Union Gospel Mission and YWCA Salem Outreach Shelter)
  • 2010=$1067.00 (Liberty House Child Abuse Assessment an Family Building Blocks)
  • 2011=$1135.00 (Marion-Polk Food Share and Humane Society of the Willamette Valley)

At each of the seven regular Classified Luncheons, there is a 50/50 drawing, where the winner keeps half of the money raised, and chooses where to donate the other half. These donations can be made to any external charity or internal Willamette program.

2011-2012 Charitable Contributions

September-Willamette Academy=$26.00
October-Willamette Academy=$23.00
November-Community Service Learning's and Socks for Homeless Project=$32.50
December-Marion-Polk Food Share=$567.50
               Humane Society of the Willamette Valley=$567.50
January-Friends of Felines=$37.00
February-Mid-Valley Women's Crisis Service=$41.00
April-Classified Staff Scholarship Fund=$33.25

Gala of Trees to benefit the Boys and Girls Aid Society in December

October contributations for the Gala of Trees project in December=$14.00
December=Amount raised at the benefit dinner=$2000.00 

Council and Staff are also actively involved in other Service programs, for example:

  • In 2006 Council collected items for seven care packages for a Staff member’s son and his unit serving in Iraq.
  • In November of 2005 the Classified Employees collected and donated 60 "Survival Kits" consisting of combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bars of soap, and hand towels through LDS West Ward to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 42 of these kits were assembled by the Classified Staff during the November, 2005 Classified Council Luncheon. The remaining items were given to LDS West Ward who completed the remaining kits.

Classified Employee Scholarship Fund

The Classified Employee Scholarship Fund awards $500 to selected students with financial need to help defray the costs of books and/or tuition. This scholarship has been awarded to the following recipients:

2009-10

2008-09

Council Represents the Interest of Staff

Council Members and Staff are part of almost every Campus-wide committee, providing reports at Council Meetings to keep Classified Employees informed of what’s happening in our Willamette community. Safety Committee, Master Planning Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Search for VP of Financial Affairs, Benefits Committee, just to name a few.