In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., UVM will be hosting a community service monetary fundraiser “UVM Gives a Dollar” from Jan. 15 through Jan. 24.

The goal of the fundraiser, part of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration, Education & Learning Week, is to inspire everyone in the UVM community to give at least one dollar to raise at least $15,000 in support of Women Helping Battered Women, the Ronald McDonald House and the Chittenden County Emergency Food Shelf.

Donations can be made at a number of campus locations including Henderson’s Cafe, CAT Pause, Given Courtyard South, Human Resources or the Waterman Student Service Center (Registrar’s Desk). The fundraiser is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, the Department of Student Life, Human Resource Services and the College of Medicine.

Rodman Cory, communications professional in Human Resource Services, said the idea to raise money rather than hold a food drive or collect clothing came after the university saw how effective local charities were at maximizing monetary gifts. "We realized that non-profits like the food shelf could do a lot more with a dollar, and we really wanted to maximize our contribution," Cory says. "If everyone gave one dollar, we could really help these organizations out. We picked these three because they were local and were ones that a lot of people could identify with."