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Robin Fowler was
overwhelmed by the generosity of her colleagues who donated more than 375 hours
of their time off following her surgery. |
Colleagues Donate Time Off to Help Employee
It wasn't long after Robin Fowler learned in January that she needed major surgery that she realized she had another problem - time wasn't on her side.
For the previous 12 months, Fowler, a staff assistant in the Medical Center's Development & Alumni Affairs Office of Foundation Relations, had been living with ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition that limited her ability to work. As a result, she had used all of her accrued sick and vacation time.
"The surgery and recovery period was going to require me to be out of the office for 12 weeks," said Fowler. "My husband and I were primarily concerned about my health, but we were also dealing with the potential financial strain of me going on unpaid leave for three months."
Hoping to find a solution, Fowler met with Valerie Riddick, human resource manager for DUMC Development & Alumni Affairs, to discuss what options
were available to support her. Riddick told Fowler about Duke's
Kiel Memorial Voluntary Vacation/PTO Donation Program, a program their department had previous experience with when another colleague needed to take time off to care for his wife who was terminally ill.
"I was speechless when I heard about the immediate
response…What they did for my husband and me
was purely out of the goodness of their hearts -
they truly are amazing people." |
"The Kiel Program allows employees to donate accrued vacation or paid time off to fellow employees like Robin who are facing an unpaid leave of absence due to a serious medical condition," Riddick said. "The first time we asked our employees to donate time it was extremely successful, and I was sure we would have the same success for Robin."
Riddick's predictions were correct and the staff of DUMC Development & Alumni Affairs once again showed their giving nature by donating more than
375 hours of time to Fowler.
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| Since the Kiel Program was
introduced in December 1999: |
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Approximately 400 employees have benefited |
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More than 67,400 hours have been donated by
Duke employees |
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"I was speechless when I heard about the immediate response Valerie received when she put the call out for donations. Since the donations are anonymous, my coworkers were not asking for any form of recognition for their selfless contributions. What they did for my husband and me was purely out of the goodness of their hearts - they truly are amazing people."
The Kiel Program, which was implemented in December 1999, was named in honor of Susan Kiel, a Duke nurse who lost her battle with cancer in 1996. She was unable to take advantage of such a program, but her fellow nurses spearheaded the development of the benefit as a memorial to her. The nurses designed the program so that employees could show their support by sacrificing their time off to benefit a coworker in need.
"Words cannot sufficiently express my gratitude for the generosity exhibited by my colleagues," Fowler said. "One way I plan on honoring their contributions is by donating my own time to the Kiel Program once I return to work and begin to accrue time again. I want to give someone else the same gift that was given to me."
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