Diana Perez

If Diana Perez had her way, she might not have any money left in her paycheck by the time she finished contributing to various charities.

“If it was up to me, I’d give to everybody,” she said. “But I had to scale back.”

Perez, a writer in HISD’s Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment department, is also a two-time breast cancer survivor. She was first diagnosed in 2005, and then again in 2012.

Ironically, Perez (now in remission) had been supporting the Komen Foundation [a breast cancer organization] for years before her diagnosis. “My husband and I donate to Komen, St. Jude’s, and Focus on the Family,” she said. “I was already very active with Komen—at one point, I was one of its top 100 individual fundraisers—but it became an even greater passion after my diagnosis.”

What Perez appreciates most about the Combined Charities Campaign is the convenience it offers participants.

“I do a lot individually,” she said, “but I believe that I represent HISD, so I think it’s important to give through the district. This just makes it easier. I get the option of doing it per paycheck, so I feel like I can give more. I don’t even see it or think about it. It’s just a habit.”

Why do you give? To share your story, please send an email to info@houstonisd.org. This is the second in a short series of articles on why employees contribute. Check back next week for the third and final installment.