Town of Fishers staff members continue to help the community with a volunteer group that spans multiple departments.
The G.I.V.E. Committee – Generosity Involvement and Volunteerism by Employees – was established in 2007, and five years later, still provides care for the community.
It all started when staff members got together to lend a hand during Hurricane Katrina and the tornados that hit Evansville.
“After those events, we thought it would be nice if we had an organization that was prepared or that already met that could do something in case an emergency situation came up,” Aimee Ector, human resources assistant, said, “and in the mean time annually we just do different events.”
Most recently, the group raised $1,300 for the Hoosier Burn Camp by running an inflatable play area at the Fishers Freedom Festival. G.I.V.E. also collaborated with Parks and Recreation to collect items during the Fishers Summer Concert Series for the camp.
After raising $2,500 for Janus Developmental Services last year, the Town of Fishers developed a working relationship with the organization – giving Janus consumers and the town more opportunities beneficial to both parties, according to Maura Leon-Barber, director of communications and G.I.V.E. committee member.
In addition to the group’s work with Janus, G.I.V.E. helped raise money for a Fishers family with two daughters enduring Friederich’s Ataxia, a neuromuscular disease, that needed to make their home wheel chair accessible, and in the winter months, the committee is hosting a toy drive for the Good Samaritan Network.
“This year we’re trying to expand our reach a little to get more of the citizens involved,” Ector said.
“Hopefully through our partnership with the chamber and other organizations through some of their holiday events, we can ask the citizens to be bringing in toys to the tree lighting or cookies with Santa, those different kind of events.”
The group meets during business hours, but many of the activities it participates in after hours.
Ector said, “I think it’s a testament to town council and our leadership that they support this kind of organization within the town.”
Currently, there are twelve members of the committee: Tony Elliot, administration department; Leon-Barber, communications department; Aaron head, development department; Samantha Gillespie and Ron Stolz,, fire department; Aimee Ector, Cici Hendrix and Ethan Lee, human resources department; Amber Mink, parks and recreation department; John Findlay, permitting and inspections department; and Tim Burbich, public works department.