by Susan Kemph, Senior Administrative Assistant, Human Resources at the City of St. Charles, skemph@stcharlesil.gov
The City of St. Charles Mission promotes Heritage, Community, Service and Opportunity. City employees embrace one of the key parts of our mission statement, Community, in some very special ways throughout the year.
The entire community is invited to participate in some of our fundraisers, such as the CASAtober bake sale in October, which raises funds for CASA Kane County, and our Giving Tree in December, which supports Elderday Center, the Salvation Army, and children from the St. Charles school district. But what you may not know is that City employees support many other organizations throughout the year and give back to the community where they live and work.
Every Friday employees can participate in the Giving Fridays program by donating $6 or more to a designated charity of the month and can then dress casually. Charities supported by our employee Giving Fridays have included Neighbors in Need, Fox Valley Hospice, Lazarus House, AID, Elderday Center, Valley Sheltered Workshop, and many more. Over the past year City employees have donated $3,900 to local charities through our Giving Fridays program.
We also celebrate Christmas in July by collecting supplies for local pet rescue groups H.E.L.P. and Rover Rescue. Some of our employees are personally involved with these organizations that save dogs and cats from high-kill shelters.
In August, for the first time, we collected children’s books for Bernie’s Book Bank, which packages and distributes books to local children in need, including those in St. Charles schools. We had an overwhelming response and collected 1,746 books.
Our commitment to the community includes more than just donations of money, though. In May last year employees spent their lunchtime picking up trash along the Fox River downtown. We also host an annual blood drive at the City, making it quick and convenient for employees to donate blood. Every fall employees, family, and friends head over to Feed My Starving Children to pack meals that are shipped all over the world.
The men and women who work for the City know that it is not just a commitment to excellence on the job that makes the community a better place; it is a commitment to making the community great in every aspect. We all embrace our mission of Community with great pride throughout the year and look forward to continuing to work toward our mission of Heritage, Community, Service, and Opportunity.