Vassar Today

New Community Campaign Worked

By Diane Pineiro-Zucker, associate director of College Relations

With more than 300 Vassar employees contributing a total of $59,575 plus an astounding $8,429 in student donations, $68,004 was raised for the "Community Works" campaign. The total includes a $500 donation from Aramark on behalf of Campus Dining, which was made in lieu of a holiday party.

Campaign chair Mark Cladis, associate professor of religion, was pleased with the final tally and thanked the entire community for its generosity. "The campaign demonstrated the depth and breadth of Vassar’s commitment both to the local community and to our principles of non-discrimination," Cladis said.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the campaign will be distributed evenly among the following organizations: the September 11th Fund, the American Cancer Society — Dutchess Unit, Dutchess Outreach, the Children’s Media Project, New Horizons Resources, Battered Women’s Services, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, Hudson River Housing, New Hope Community Center, and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network.

The campaign was established after the United Way of Dutchess County chose to accept the decision of the Boy Scouts of America, a member agency, to retain its legal right to discriminate based on sexual orientation against the providers of services, both staff and volunteers. Because of that stance and Vassar’s own non-discrimination policy, the college opted not to participate in this year’s local United Way campaign.