PHILADELPHIA –
Every little bit counts.
That was the recurring theme during Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support’s annual Combined Federal Campaign kickoff Oct. 19 in Philadelphia.
“There may be those who think a few dollars a pay period may not be worth it – that it doesn’t make enough of an impact,” Richard Ellis, DLA Troop Support deputy commander, said. “Let me tell you, it does.”
In 2014, the organization contributed more than $141,000 to participating CFC charities, Tina Piotrowski, the 2015 CFC chairperson and Industrial Hardware deputy director, said.
Ellis applauded employees for their support last year. He now wants to focus on the rate of participation. Last year, only 552 employees gave to CFC, only 24 percent of the DLA Troop Support workforce.
“I want to reach everyone and encourage them to give what they can,” he said.
To encourage employees to make giving more personal this year, Piotrowski said she decided to ask DLA Troop Support employees to serve as presenters.
“As chairperson, I thought hearing directly from your co-workers how these charitable organizations have personally impacted their lives would leave you with a lasting impression and hopefully encourage you to donate,” she said.
William Pagan, a Subsistence tailored vendor logistics specialist, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of serving an extended National Guard deployment in Iraq. He was given his service dog, Oprah, to aid his transition from deployment to life at home.
Oprah was trained through the program Puppies Behind Bars.
“The organization trains prison inmates to raise service dogs for wounded veterans and explosive detection dogs for law enforcement,” Piotrowski said.
Pagan said when employees donate to charities like Puppies Behind Bars, it “creates a domino effect.”
The prisoner who trained Oprah was motivated to attend college while in prison and now, as a free man, runs his own company training security dogs, he added.
“Whatever you donate can make a big, big change,” Pagan said.
Employees also heard testimonials from Deborah Peden of Subsistence, whose sister benefitted from the March of Dimes and Joanne Anello, an IH supervisor, who has worked with Adopt-a-Platoon for the past 10 years.
Rachel N’Diaye, a representative from the National Kidney Foundation also presented on behalf of that organization.
Peden challenged employees to donate, no matter the amount.
“Just give,” she said. “You don’t know who you can help. Find it in your heart to help because that dollar can go a long way.”