To help the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the Human Resources Office will collect donations on Tuesdays through “Jeans for Hurricane Relief.”

On “Lion Up Tuesdays,” the university will be partnering with United Way of Southeast Louisiana. University employees can donate $5 monthly for four stickers, or $2 daily for one sticker, giving them a pass to wear jeans to work.

Supervisor of the Human Resources Benefits Nicole Dunnington explained what the campaign is about.

“The hurricane relief is about giving back and helping others who are experiencing displacement, damages, etc. from the recent hurricanes,” said Dunnington. “We hope to raise money for the victims of the recent hurricanes.”

Dunnington explained the reason behind the university joining the campaign.

“We joined the campaign to give back,” said Dunnington. “Many of us were here for Katrina, Lee, Isaac and the recent floods. These storms affected our areas, and some of our communities were able to receive aid from organizations such as the United Way. It is a way to give back.” 

The Human Resources Office’s main challenge for this campaign has been getting people to realize the existence of the campaign.

“The whole thing just started at Southeastern, so I guess having all the employees aware that the campaign is going on should be the only challenge we’ve faced until now,” said Dunnington.

Since the campaign’s main focus is on employees, Dunnington discussed how their response to the campaign is important.

“The campaign just started, but yes, we have had some interest,” said Dunnington. “Whether it be employees donating money or paying the money to wear jeans on ‘Lion Up Tuesdays.’”

Dunnington explained how an individual can help the victims of the hurricanes.

“Anyone can donate money to the United Way or contact the United Way to see if there are any other needs in the event if a person cannot donate monetarily,” said Dunnington. “Employees can purchase the stickers to wear jeans for ‘Lion Up Tuesdays’ in the Human Resources Office.”

Donations for the campaign will be collected by Human Resources Administrative Assisstant Allison Blache. Stickers will be dispersed at the time of donation. For further inquiries, she can be contacted at 985-549-2001.