Thousands of government workers in eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois have begun raising money for charity. This year's Combined Federal Campaign kicked off last week, and runs through end of the year.
Co-chair, Sarah Von Holdt, says the campaign includes any federal worker in 37 Illinois and Iowa counties, including the military, V-A, the Arsenal, and Postal Service. Their goal this year is 500,000 dollars.
In addition to local charities, participants can earmark money for national and international organizations.
Von Holdt says this year's theme is "you can change a life."
Contributions dropped off following the federal government shutdown two years ago, but she hopes the Combined Federal Campaign can bounce back this year - Von Holdt says another shutdown is a concern, but not very likely, at least for now.
