Sept 20th Purdue United Way Kickoff

The event will take place at Purdue Mall on Wednesday, September 20^th from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Along with members of the Purdue United Way team, we will be joined by Purdue Pete, the Purdue Golduster Dance Team, and the Boilermaker X-special. For those looking to donate, there will be Jimmy John’s sandwiches and shaved ice. All of these donations will go directly to the Purdue United Way campaign.

The Purdue United Way campaign was first organized on campus in the 1980s under the leadership of Purdue President Stephen Beering and Senior Vice President of Development Charles Wise. Today, the Purdue Community raises one of the largest campaigns in the community to benefit local agencies through the United Way of Greater Lafayette. Some of the agencies involved in the campaign are Riggs Community Health Center, Wabash Center, LARA (Lafayette Adult Resource Academy), Bauer Family Resources, and Tippecanoe Senior Services.

Many of the resources provided through United Way are crucial for the Purdue University community. Support for the campaign goes to funding local agencies that create lasting solutions to problems in the Greater Lafayette area. United Way addresses essential needs, like food insecurity, shelter, and mental health, all the way to needs that further empower the community, like K-12 education and career readiness.

Within the United Way network are 25 agencies and several different programs. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) is one such program. This program, which helps anyone with a household income less than $73,000 with tax preparation, has served around 3,000 people annually since its inception in 2010. This program is staffed with many Purdue University student volunteers each year – a great example of Purdue + community partnership.

Together, with your help, we can have another great year of community empowerment. To learn more about the Purdue United Way 2023 Campaign, visit the site here.