Alison Allen (right), One Purpose volunteer and Stanislaus alumna, turned in her pledges at the reporting reception on Thursday with reporting team volunteer C.J. Chaney.
The most engaged volunteers often are those with the busiest schedules. As One Purpose volunteers aim to raise $1 million in only six weeks, their belief in the importance of education inspires them to do their part to meet the fundraising challenge for student scholarships.
Business owners and leaders in our community have stepped up to make One Purpose a priority in light of their busy schedules. They have expressed that providing scholarships to outstanding students — the future leaders of our region — is what motivates them to commit six weeks of their time to this important cause, now in its second year.
This week, Mike and Alison Allen, owners of Allen Mortuary in Turlock, reaffirmed their commitment to support student scholarships. As top-producing volunteers for Week 3, they renewed their $10,000 pledge of support for One Purpose as they lead a team of volunteers for the second year.
“The volunteers and donors who are a part of our team really enjoy supporting the community and they know the value of investing in the University,” said Alison Allen, a Stanislaus State alumna. “Seeing the students who have benefitted as a result of last year’s campaign has been incredibly motivating and it makes a connection with those students who will go on to be leaders in our community.”
Volunteers continue to share the message of One Purpose and to gather support from the community for student scholarships in the third week of the campaign. The fundraising total has reached $121,300.
“This second year of the campaign has been excellent,” said Phaedra Norton, attorney for the City of Turlock. “There are greater opportunities to bring people on board for this cause and to build on our success from last year.
Norton’s successful strategy started by contacting those who donated during the inaugural One Purpose campaign, a group whose giving resulted in more than 170 students receiving scholarships.
“The students who have received scholarships represent the generosity of the community and seeing how those students have been positively impacted makes an investment in One Purpose tangible,” she said.
One Purpose volunteers understand that investing in Stanislaus State students has the potential to make a tremendous impact by supporting a college-educated workforce for the region.
Stanislaus State Professor of Art History Roxanne Robbin said that she is making One Purpose a part of her daily conversations with colleagues, students, and individuals in the community. Her motivation to volunteer for the campaign has been bolstered by the positive effect she has observed in students that have received One Purpose scholarships.
“I have heard a lot of positive feedback from our One Purpose scholars — how it’s helped them,” Robbin said. “They feel that their University and their community appreciate them and it gives them the confidence they need to apply for graduate school or to go out and aim to be the top dogs in their field. That confidence is really invaluable.”
Teams of volunteers also are working to build relationships with community businesses and organizations to support students through One Purpose. Jim Tuedio, dean of the College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, is leading a team of volunteers from the campus community. He said that the camaraderie among volunteers is synergizing, and that their efforts to build relationships with local businesses has been rewarding.
“We have faculty and staff who are hungry to see students rewarded for their hard work,” Tuedio said. “The volunteers are enjoying the engagement with the fundraising process — collaborating has a really good feel to it. It’s about our University and about being part of a community. It’s a fulfilling experience to work with others who share the enthusiasm for our students.”
In the final three weeks of the campaign, those interested in more information — or in giving to One Purpose — can contact the Division of University Advancement at (209) 667-3131 or visit www.csustan.edu/one-purpose.