{"320511":{"#nid":"320511","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Employees Benefit from State Charitable Contributions Program","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EEvery parent knows how frustrating the potty training process can be. And no one understands this better than Melissa Arceneaux, whose daughter, Ariel, is autistic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cThe autism made it even more challenging to teach Ariel to use the toilet, which was really hard for us,\u201d said Arceneaux, who is the financial manager in Procurement and Business Services. \u201cSo, we reached out to an organization called Autism Speaks, which referred us to the Marcus Institute, where we found a day-long potty training program.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAfter attending the event, Arceneaux was able to potty train Ariel, who was 5 at the time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cWe\u2019d been trying daily for several years to make this happen, and all along there was a resource out there for us that we didn\u2019t know about,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m so thankful for Autism Speaks for referring our family to something that has changed our lives for the better.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAutism Speaks is one of the many local and national nonprofits that benefit from the State Charitable Contributions Program, which Georgia Tech faculty and staff members contribute to each year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EArceneaux has not only supported the organization through the annual campaign, but she\u2019s also volunteered as a campaign ambassador for the past four years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cThere are always so many organizations that struggle to raise the funds to provide services to families in need,\u201d she said. \u201cGeorgia Tech does a wonderful job of providing for its employees, so I feel like we should pay it forward to the charities in need. By skipping your morning coffee or a lunch once a week and donating money to the campaign, you could change a person\u2019s life.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EThis year\u2019s campaign begins and ends earlier than in the past, running from Sept. 1 to Nov. 15. The campus goal is to have 1,500 members of the community donate and to raise $330,000.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EFaculty and staff have several options for contributing. In addition to payroll deduction and check donations, there are credit\/debit card payment and WebCheck options.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EHowever, giving online through TechWorks at \u003Cstrong\u003Ewww.techworks.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E is the preferred method because it is confidential, secure, and simple to use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cIn 2014, Georgia Tech was awarded the Governor\u2019s Cup for the seventh year in a row for having the highest contribution per employee or retiree to the State Charitable Contributions Program of the state institutions in its division,\u201d said LaJauna Ellis, this year\u2019s Charitable Campaign chair. \u201cI hope that with the help of the Tech community we can make it eight years in a row in 2015.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EFor more information, visit \u003Cstrong\u003Ewww.charitable.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E, or email questions to \u003Cstrong\u003Echaritable@gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 2015 campaign contribution season is now underway through Nov. 15.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 2015 campaign contribution season is now underway through Nov. 15."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2014-09-02 10:50:22","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:59","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-09-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-09-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"320521":{"id":"320521","type":"image","title":"Melissa Arceneaux","body":null,"created":"1449244997","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:03:17","changed":"1475895029","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:29","alt":"Melissa Arceneaux","file":{"fid":"200084","name":"melissa_campaignarticle.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/melissa_campaignarticle_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/melissa_campaignarticle_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2142519,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/melissa_campaignarticle_0.jpg?itok=OpVq4iw-"}}},"media_ids":["320521"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/charitable.gatech.edu\/","title":"2014 Charitable Campaign"}],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"2094","name":"charitable campaign"},{"id":"2096","name":"philanthropy"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:charitable@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Echaritable@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:pavlik@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Pavlik\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGraduate Education and Faculty Affairs\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}