Community Service
Through community service we work to improve the health and quality of life of community members in the surrounding area. This initiative underscores an important principle for us: The UVA Health System and all those who work here are part of the communities we serve. Taken as a group, our employees have chosen to spend their working lives serving others.
It is no surprise, then, that the same spirit of service guides them in other aspects of their lives. Because the Health System, as an institution, is dedicated to building stronger communities, we encourage this individual commitment of creativity and expertise.
As part of our Public Service Leave Policy, all regular employees receive eight hours of public service leave with pay per calendar year to participate in community service. We also participate in an annual community service day (Is this day of caring? Hyperlink to DOC) designed deliberately to nourish the culture of volunteerism and established the UVa Health System Community Service Award to honor an exceptional individual at the UVA Health System who has made community service a way of life.
One highly effective instance of our commitment to community service is our support for the United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring. Thanks to the efforts of the Office of Community Relations, Outreach, and Service, 424 volunteers from the Health System spent over 2,235 hours on 39 projects in 2006. Their contribution of time was valued at more than $59,096. On that one day, UVA employee volunteers helped clean the Ronald McDonald House, built a puppet theater for a local elementary school, and performed many other good works.
Health System employees also donated more than $345,000 of their own money to the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign earmarking funds for a variety of organizations from the Boy Scouts to the ASPCA (hyperlink)Their contribution is one of the single largest donations made by any organization in Central Virginia-one that is crucial to the survival of vital community organizations. Allocating part of their paychecks to local nonprofits is just a start. Our employees also staff and direct these organizations, serving as volunteers and board members.