OGDENSBURG -- State employees at Riverview Correctional Facility in Ogdensburg were honored recently for increasing their donation pledge to nonprofits in 2019 through the State Employees Federated Appeal.

The annual appeal encourages state employees to donate through payroll deduction. Northern New York employees increased their pledges by 5 percent over 2018, said Bob Gorman, CEO of the United Way of NNY, which is contracted by the state to administer the SEFA campaign locally.

“Most SEFA campaigns declined in the last year so we were pleased to see the increase here,” said Gorman. “While state employees can designate their donation to nonprofits around the country, most of it stays here. This allows us to send monthly checks to the Boys & Girls clubs, hospice chapters, the Salvation Army and dozens of other worthy causes.”

State employees in St. Lawrence County increased their pledge from $36,690 to $41,024. Much of that increase was the result of more money from employees at Riverview Correctional Facility in Ogdensburg.