Dear Colleagues:

I was delighted when University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Robert Caret, PhD, affirmed last month the system's participation in Gov. Hogan's Maryland Unites: Day of Service campaign. The campaign allows USM employees to use four hours of paid leave to contribute their service to a nonprofit organization of their choice.
 
The campaign was begun in the wake of citywide unrest this spring—provoked by the death of Freddie Gray—when many in Baltimore and Maryland banded together to help repair the damage this community has suffered and to tackle the larger issues of justice, access, and equity that stoked April's violence. The Maryland Unites campaign, therefore, holds special significance here at UMB, and I hope that you'll join this effort.
 
All regular state faculty and staff employees are eligible to participate in the Day of Service now through Oct. 10, 2015. The University has identified several coordinated service projects to which employees may contribute their time, but you're free to volunteer with any accredited nonprofit organization, so long as your volunteer hours are completed in Maryland. Please visit UMB Supports Maryland Unites to review eligibility guidelines, volunteer instructions, and service opportunities and to complete the necessary participation and verification forms.
 
As Baltimore works to rebuild and heal, your service is urgently needed. Many of you have dedicated your lives, your careers, and your scholarship to helping those in need. I encourage you to take part in this system-sponsored effort. Our communities and colleagues need your proven leadership and dedicated support—now more than ever.

Sincerely,

Jay A. Perman, MD
President