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Welcoming new staff to the university, recognizing current staff members for their hard work, and distributing book scholarships and professional development dollars are a few perks the University of North Georgia (91¸£Àûµ¼º½) Staff Council provides.

This fall, Staff Council's two signature events have returned to the 91¸£Àûµ¼º½ Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses. Staff Council is a 20-member advisory board to 91¸£Àûµ¼º½'s president and serves as the staff's voice to the administration.

Helpful Harvest is an annual charity fundraiser held before Thanksgiving on the Gainesville Campus. It features a luncheon followed by live and silent auctions and. proceeds are donated to the food pantry.

"The 91¸£Àûµ¼º½ food pantry has grown exponentially and is trying to keep up with the demands of our 91¸£Àûµ¼º½ community," Kristie Kiser, student success coordinator and Staff Council member, said.

The Staff Council's signature event on the Dahlonega Campus also focuses on charitable giving. The Spirit of Christmas asks 91¸£Àûµ¼º½ employees to donate toys and food for the Community Helping Place, which assists those in need in Lumpkin County through a food pantry, a free medical and dental clinic, emergency financial assistance, and referral support services.

The year's event will be from 7:30-9:30 a.m. Dec. 10 on the concourse level of the Convocation Center. Staff may stop by to drop off their donations, pick up breakfast, and mingle with each other.

John Cheatham, chair of Staff Council for all five 91¸£Àûµ¼º½ campuses, said the signature events promote community engagement among staff.

"I see people at these events who I haven't seen all year, and I connect with them," the manager of audio-visual engineering and operations said. "Providing our staff from different departments a chance to meet each other and create a community feeling is a huge benefit."

As the public relations chair for Staff Council, Sean Evett shares these recognitions and other activities on the council's website and Facebook page. The video conference technician explained the Spirit of Christmas event introduced him to the benefits of Staff Council.

"I have never missed the Spirit of Christmas since I started working here," he said. "At one point I realized I wanted to get involved and help plan the yearly events. Now, I'm on Staff Council and heading up the event."

Staff Council is responsible for awarding Staff Member of the Month and Year as well as approving money for professional development opportunities.

To join Staff Council, staff members may nominate themselves or a co-worker. Nominations will open in the spring followed by a campuswide vote. Each member serves a two-year term from July to June.

For more information, visit the Staff Council website or .