SECC Giving - Dr. Edwin Blanton's Story

SECC Giving - Dr. Edwin Blanton's Story

October 2, 2017
Dear Members of the A&M-San Antonio Community:

We're halfway through our annual SECC giving campaign. Perhaps you just haven't gotten around to making your pledge. Maybe you are like I was last year. I volunteer a lot in the community, as well as donate to my church and to other organizations in town. I left the SECC giving to others. One charity I have supported for years is the San Antonio Food Bank, which I would do at the end of the month, if I had any "left-over" funds.

This year, I will be supporting the San Antonio Food Bank, Charity Code 415077, through my SECC contributions. Every week, through our on-campus food pantry, General's Store, I see how the San Antonio Food Bank fights hunger. As we all know, it's difficult to function when you are hungry. Not only does the San Antonio Food Bank provide food, but also valuable services to people in San Antonio and in 16 counties in South Texas. They were instrumental in serving evacuees who had to leave their homes due to Hurricane Harvey. They also teach culinary skills to incarcerated persons to increase their employment chances upon release and much, much more.

By giving to the San Antonio Food Bank through the SECC, I am able to intentionally make my charitable contribution on pay day, rather than waiting until the end of the pay period, when giving may not always be possible. I hope that you will join me in giving through SECC to a cause that you are passionate about.

- Dr. Edwin Blanton, Executive Director, Mays Center for Experiential Learning & Community Engagement

Details about the SECC
The 2017 SECC kicked off on September 1 and will run through October 31. We hope you will consider making a charitable contribution to a cause you feel passion about. You may make gifts directly from your paycheck to the organization(s) of your choice. The University's 2017 goals are 40% participation with $20,000 in contributions.

How to Give
To make a gift, visit https://sso.tamus.edu starting today and select SECC Enrollment, then the recipient(s) and the amount of your contribution(s). A "Charity Search" tab is available to help locate the right charity/charities for you.

Incentive for Giving
The first 100 people to sign up will receive a free food voucher!

Drawings for Giving
If you make a gift, you could be entered into the Final Drawing, Leadership Gift Drawing or both if you meet the drawing requirements below.

Drawing Requirements
Following are the minimum donation requirements to qualify for entry in the drawings:

• • • Hourly employees - $3/month or $36/year
    • Salary employees - $6/month or $72/year
    • Leadership Gift Drawing - $1,000 or more annual gift

Drawing Deadlines:

• • • Early Bird Drawing - entries are closed. The drawing will be held on October 3, 2017.
    • Final Drawing - you receive one entry in the drawing if you make at least the minimum contribution by October 31. The drawing will be held on November 2, 2017.
    • Leadership Gift Drawing - you receive one entry in the drawing if you make at least a $1,000 annual gift minimum contribution by October 31. The drawing will be held on November 2, 2017.

Early Bird and Final Drawing Prizes Include:

• • • 2 Six Flags Fiesta Texas gift baskets (four tickets and cool swag) ($350 value each)
    • 1 pair of lower-level tickets and VIP parking to an upcoming Spurs game in November ($275 value)
    • 1 family four-pack (tickets, food vouchers and parking) to a Rampage game ($200 value)
    • 4 rounds of golf ($70 value each)
    • 10 - $10 Chartwells dining gift cards

Leadership Gift Drawing Prize:

• • • 1 two-night stays at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa ($600 value)

Participating in this year's SECC campaign is a great way to help make our community a better place! We look forward to your participation.

If you have any questions about the SECC campaign, contact Nan Palmero atnan.palmero@tamusa.edu or (210) 784-1118.