Home Campaign Reaches Goal Of Raising More Than $1.26 Million For Local Nonprofit Agencies

LIVERMORE, Calif.—For the third year in a row, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employees have collected more than $1 million to give to community charities.

Though donations are still trickling in, this year’s annual HOME (Helping Others More Effectively) Campaign has reached its goal of just more than $1.26 million, surpassing last year’s total of $1.222 million.

The campaign was originally scheduled to close Dec. 6, but donations keep rolling in.

"We really wanted to wrap up the campaign by now, but earlier this week somebody came in with a check for $5,000 to donate," said Hugh Watling, this year's HOME Campaign chairman. This year's campaign is being run out of the Engineering Directorate.

"What's amazing is there are still some very generous donations coming in. We don’t want to say no to those donations."

For 26 years the Livermore Lab has staged its HOME Campaign to raise money for local nonprofit agencies, as well as umbrella groups such as United Way and the Tri-Valley Community Fund. In the last six years, the campaign has steadily increased in the amount of money donated. Since 1995, the campaign has raised nearly $6 million.

"The LLNL Home Campaign is making a difference in the Tri-Valley area," Livermore Mayor Cathie Brown said. "I applaud the efforts of Lab employees on this tremendous gift they have given our community."

Local agencies such as Tri-Valley Haven for Women, Shepherd's Gate and the Tri-Valley Animal Rescue look to the campaign to receive a substantial amount of their annual contributions.

For the second year in a row, Johnson Controls, the Laboratory's supplemental labor provider, offered a matching funds program for every dollar its employees contributed to the campaign. This year Johnson Controls contributed more than $26,000.

"We are all very pleased with the outcome of this year’s HOME Campaign," said Engineering Associate Director Spiros Dimolitsas. "This campaign shows how committed our employees are to helping their communities."

Next year’s campaign will be sponsored by the Nonproliferation, Arms Control and International Security Directorate, the same group that sponsored this year’s Run for HOME. Watling believes the continued success at breaking the million-dollar barrier will carry over when the 2001 campaign kicks off.

"The campaign supports such a wide cross section of charities that employees feel they can really tailor their contributions to their own interests. The HOME Campaign proves that you can make a difference in someone’s life."

Watling said the campaign will close out by the end of the year in order to turn donations over to the various charities.