Monday messages

Holidays a time for giving

Dear Colleagues,

The semester is almost over. Finals have started and soon we will begin our winter break.

Winter break has a different tone to it than the other breaks in the university calendar because of the holidays.

We are a diverse institution and the holidays we celebrate are diverse as well, yet the message behind all of them calls us to come together with friends and family, celebrate our blessings and share those blessings with others.

During a time of uncertainty and worry, this message of hope and of giving is more important than ever. Fortunately, the desire of the members of the KU family to give back is as strong as ever.

For example, in January 63 KU students will participate in the Alternative Breaks program, traveling at their own expense to volunteer for seven service projects around the nation. These seven projects range from a program that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses to Teach for America. Like so many of their classmates, these students are answering the call to serve and they deserve our thanks.

Here on campus, KU students, faculty and staff have stepped forward to be a part of the 2008 United Way campaign, showing the generosity of the KU community. The campaign officially concluded on Friday, but you can still give and I encourage you to do so if you haven’t already.

Nearly $250,000 has been raised and this year’s campaign set a record for the number of KU employees who contributed to the effort. I want to thank everyone who made that possible and whose generosity will touch the lives of countless members of our community.

Of course, charity and service are not reserved just for the holiday season. Part of KU’s mission is service, and we do that in any number of ways. Studio 804 built an arts center for Greensburg and this fall pharmacy students raised $4,000 to conduct a free flu shot clinic there.

And every day, the more than 350 volunteers for KU’s Audio-Reader program open up the world to blind, visually impaired and print disabled individuals throughout Kansas and western Missouri. One of these volunteers, Eleanor Symons, has helped provide this service for 37 years.

These are just a few examples of the generosity of the people who make up the KU family. There are many more.

Together, they help to answer what Martin Luther King, Jr. called “life’s most persistent and urgent question.”

What are you doing for others?

I am immensely proud of the work each and every person at this university does for others, be it educating students or helping strangers, and whether it is part of their duties at KU or simply the generosity of the human spirit.

Leah and I send our best wishes to you and your family. May you enjoy the holidays ahead and find your belief in the power of hope and charity renewed.

Sincerely,
Bob Hemenway
Chancellor