Elon's Kernodle Center for Civic Life and Human Resources continues its annual partnership to give back to surrounding communities.
As registration for 2024 Staff Appreciation Day kicked off, a dozen members of Kernodle Center for Civic Life and Human Resources facilitated a canned food drive outside of the Schar Center to benefit partners in the Alamance County community. In total, 947 pounds of food were donated and an additional $203 was raised for Fresh Manna food pantry.
“This is an important initiative that gives directly to a community that gives so much to us and our students,” said Abby Wiatrek, assistant director for Kernodle Center.
In the Kernodle Center, Wiatrek works with programs focused on one-time engagement and first-year experiences such as the summer Engage program, Service LLC, Campus Kitchen and Habitat for Humanity. The food drive is a proud tradition at Elon and would not be possible without the support of all Kernodle Center staff and Human Resources, along with community partners.
“Especially leaning into the theme of HealthEU, a food drive promotes the ideal of taking care of one’s community to create a stronger one for overall wellbeing,” continued Wiatrek.
Staff Appreciation Day featured 12 events, an eclectic assortment of food and staff awards. Upon entry to the day’s festivities, staff could pick lanyards and punch cards that represented the six dimensions of HealthEU.
The Office of Human Resources organizes the annual Staff Appreciation Day to recognize one of the university’s most valuable assets, its employees. “We transition from a busy spring semester to a day of joy and community for Elon staff,” said Kelli Shuman, associate vice president for Human Resources and chief human resources officer. “Including a food drive to this event extends the gratitude we have for our employees to the greater Alamance County community and gives our staff an opportunity to engage with community partners.”
Candy Synder, community engagement manager at the United Way of Alamance County said this partnership with Elon allows opportunities to come together and address food shortage in the county.
“By donating to our local pantries, these resources will go directly into the hands and homes of the residents of Alamance County,” Snyder said.
Wiatrek noted that this year, the drop-off site outside of Schar included pamphlets for staff to learn about various summer volunteer opportunities. Regular full-time staff working 30 or more hours per week are granted up to 16 hours of paid volunteer service leave per calendar year.
Kernodle Center inspires, educates and prepares students and campus to partner with diverse communities to address local and global challenges, and gain a deeper understanding of their responsibility to actively contribute to civic life. The Office of Human Resources is dedicated to supporting the mission and goals of Elon University by delivering a wide array of programs and services to university employees.