When a new couple moved into his neighborhood, Lou Arminio, ITS information security analyst, could never have imagined that domestic violence was hidden within the walls of that home. Nor could he have predicted that the woman’s apartment would catch fire after she fled from the abuse.
However, Arminio did know that United Way was partially responsible for providing protection and legal assistance to the woman to escape domestic violence as well as the housing American Red Cross provided when her apartment burned.
A co-chair of the President’s NAU United Way Campaign alongside Penny Medina, assistant to the dean of the College of Education, Arminio embraces a long and colorful relationship with United Way affiliates.
Arminio wanted to give back to the organizations that impacted both his life and the lives of his friends, family and community members.
With “an achievable goal” of $115,000 by December, NAU’s United Way campaign is spreading across campus.
A central theme is the Schultz fire and local flooding relief efforts. “United Way sees the big picture of what is going on in the community and what resources are needed to address those needs,” Arminio said. “They can channel the resources and funding where it’s needed most.”
Donations to the NAU campaign, part of the larger United Way of Northern Arizona campaign, can be made through donation packets distributed by department coordinators, fundraising events and the 10th annual Mountain Campus Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair.
Arminio said he strives to put people in the right mind frame for giving by baking cookies for his United Way meetings and donation requests.
“I bake about 50-100 dozen cookies a year,” Arminio said. “I try to show the spirit of giving and make it more personal.”
For information contact Penny Medina at (928) 523-7145 or Lou Arminio at (928) 523-6462.