Getting by With a Little Help from Our Colleagues
I have many COVID – 19 pet peeves and one of the big ones is hearing people say, “We’re all in this together.” Setting aside the High School Musical number running through my head every time I hear the phrase, it minimizes the unique nature of what we are going through.
The pandemic is different for everyone. What is happening at my house is different from the house of my friend who is an ER nurse at Harborview. It is not like my mom’s house, my grandma’s nursing home, my next-door neighbor…you get the picture.
We are all dealing with world events in a variety of ways and all of us have different struggles. The pandemic affects all of us. In our house, my husband found himself furloughed for 5 months. There was an ongoing mild uncertainty we lived with every day during that time. We were lucky. We had some savings and were able to scale down our expenses. That is not the case for everyone. Many folks – UW employees included – need extra help.
To provide that help, the UW recently launched a fund – the UW COVID-19 Employee Emergency Fund – to help our colleagues. Eligible employees may request up to $750 for a critical, temporary, and unforeseen financial hardship due to COVID-19. Financial grants don’t need to be repaid and are not taxable as income. These grants can be a lifeline. If you want to apply for a grant, you can do so here.
UW Employees are incredible. Your support of the community and each other is remarkable. More than a few of you have reached out to the UWCFD and asked how you can help support people in need during COVID-19. We shared a variety of organizations and resources for you to support. Now, we are asking you to consider supporting a fund closer to home – the UW COVID-19 Employee Emergency Fund.
The biggest limiting factor of the Covid-19 Employee Emergency Fund is we can only grant the funds we have. As we move into fall, we know that like the weather, people’s circumstances will change, making access to this fund more important than ever. Make a gift now and you will make an impact in someone’s life.
To date, the COVID-19 Employee Emergency Fund has awarded 597 grants to colleagues who are experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic. Your gift today will make a difference to a colleague in need. Your gifts, combined with the gifts of your colleagues, will come together to make a real difference to your co-workers.
Make a gift and help our UW community – it’s Giving for Good!
Jolyn joined the UWCFD staff in 2015 and is a confirmed workplace giving enthusiast. She believes that every gift matters and has the power to transform the donor and the recipient.
A Northwest native, Jolyn enjoys reading, knitting, cooking and chances to gather with her community. And coffee.
2 Thoughts on “Getting by With a Little Help from Our Colleagues”
On October 1, 2020 at 8:46 PM, SMcD said:
Jolene, this is great messaging. Thank you for having the courage to share this.
On October 1, 2020 at 8:48 PM, SMcD said:
Jolyn – great messaging ! Thank you for having the courage to share this.
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