While SEFA's "Stepping Up" theme encourages employees to increase their dollar donations, or consider giving if they haven't before, there is yet another message inherent to employees campus-wide: time is giving, too.

Workers from numerous departments and offices across the campuses are pulling together to support SEFA not only during the campaign—which runs from Sept. 12 through Oct. 27 this year—but throughout the year with a multitude of fund-raisers that benefit both SEFA and the UB community.

"You can give of your time, your treasure and your talent—which is what we do," said Linda Amabile, who works in the Office of the Controller and is co-chair of the SEFA committee for University Business Services, of the various fund-raisers the committee sponsors throughout the year. "(We're) a group that really enjoys working together, and that's a big part of our success."

In addition to pizza, candy and ice cream sales, hot-dog roasts, Entertainment-Book sales, gift-basket raffles and most recently, a book, CD and audio/video tape sale, employees also have "adopted" families throughout the holiday season, contributing meals, clothes, toys and even home furnishings.

"A lot of staff donated their own personal items," said Dawn Starke, the other co-chair of the University Business Services SEFA committee, adding that she is "always surprised, pleasantly, by the generosity and big-heartedness" of the people involved.

The Crofts Hall group—which represents the Controller's Office, Procurement Services, Human Resource Services, Financial Services, Continuous Quality Improvement and Campus Services, as well as Technology Services-each year raises money to benefit two specific agencies.

This year, those agencies—voted on by employees—are the Autism Society of Western New York and The Tourette Syndrome Association of Western New York. The Tourette Syndrome association holds a personal connection for the group, as committee member Rudi Innus' son has Tourette Syndrome.

This September, as is the case every year, speakers on behalf of both agencies visited UB to give employees a more personal look at what they do.

Hearing it from someone who knows-whether a speaker or one of their own—"makes people more compassionate," pointed out Starke, who works in the Office of Continuous Quality Improvement and Campus Services.

"There's nothing like it," said committee member Shawn Diehl, who works in Financial Services.

Other groups around campus are experiencing the same positive charge one gets from making a personal investment.

The Division of Students Affairs continues to play a vital part in keeping SEFA in the minds of the UB community.

"Over the entire year, events range from operating the concession stands at UB sporting events, a summer picnicŠraffles and adopting agencies," said James Nadzbruch, a member of this year's SEFA Team for Enhanced Performance (STEP) and assistant vice president for resource and technology support services.

Nadzbruch pointed out that SEFA "is part of the Student Affairs culture."

"Many individuals in Student Affairs are also volunteers in SEFA/United Way agencies," he said. "(And) as a group, we participate in the Salvation Army's holiday program, which distributes clothing and toys to families in need.

"These activities are our way of having the entire Student-Affairs family give something back to the community."

This weekend's performance by comedienne Janeane Garofalo in Alumni Arena is one such example-with proceeds benefiting SEFA.

"Anytime UB can demonstrate to its own community that kind of caring and outreach helps us," added Connie Holoman, assistant to the president for university relations and vice chair of this year's SEFA campaign.

Helping assist people outside the UB community is a unifying experience, Holoman said.

"One of the things that departments find is that it's a real team-building opportunity for them," she said, noting that such projects offer an opportunity to those who perhaps can't make a monetary donation to instead contribute their time. And the fund-raising and volunteering "helps them understand better to what (cause) their SEFA dollars are going."

Louis Schmitt, director of facilities operations for University Facilities, said he's seen several initiatives take shape around campus over time, all of which strive "to make SEFA a more personal issue than a once-a-year-drive."

The Facilities group holds an annual spring hot-dog roast, and conducts a fall food drive, with collections going to the Western New York Food Bank and other area soup kitchens. Preferring to focus on a specific organization each year, the group this year raised more than $3,000 for Hospice. And like the Crofts group, Facilities employees enjoy knowing more about the organization for which they're "working."

"(We've) tried to personalize the campaign by having the...agencies come here and visit us," Schmitt said.

"There are lots of needs out there," he said, adding that the group tries to promote the mindset that employees "need to do something...to service those needs."

Other groups on campus have heeded that call as well.

The Office of the Provost sponsored two Monday-morning bagel breakfasts and a July hot-dog lunch, and helped to organize another roast in August. James Rosso, SEFA event coordinator for the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, sponsored the school's third annual September hot-dog cookout, which raised more than $500 for SEFA. And the SEFA committee in the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education recently hosted a tailgate party at which they raffled off Buffalo Bills tickets. Mary Camille Schwindler, a degree auditor in Records and Registration who is involved in the vice provost committee's efforts, also facilitated the UB Quilt Project to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

"It brings us closer together," said Schwindler of planning and pulling off the projects.

That kind of closeness resonates with Starke, who, along with her committee cohorts, feels the camaraderie. And a lot of life's luck, too.

"It gives me a good feeling to be involved," she said. "Count your blessings and give something back to someone else less fortunate."