Workplace Volunteer Projects

CVC's August topic featured a panel discussion on successfully hosting volunteer projects employees can work on over lunch and at breaks. Representatives were from Deluxe Check, Target Corporation, Children's Home Society and Bundles of Love.

Common work place projects are drives such as blood, school supplies and food and adopt-a-family. Growing among companies is e-mentoring which allows employees to mentor without leaving company grounds. Employees can take a few minutes during their lunch, breaks, or down time to correspond with students. Companies often arrange for the employees and students to meet at least once or twice during the relationship. There are also opportunities to create blankets and clothing on-site. Some projects didn't even require sew skills.

Jenny Anderson, Deluxe Check, spoke about these projects.

• The No Show Ball is a fundraiser by mail. Deluxe employees and retires were invited to participate by using an electronic data base where employees would sign up for a 2 hour slot. A conference room was set up for volunteers to come and address and stuff invitations to the No Show Ball. Deluxe did not anticipate the wonderful response, and had too many volunteers sign up!
• No Sew Fleece Blankets: Employees and their families were invited to stay after work and cut and tie fleece blankets. These were then provided to the Alexandra House.
• E-mentoring: 30 employees participated, and they met with students twice in person; once at the school and once at the workplace.
• Adopt-a-family is easy to encourage, but creates lots of data entry. The response was overwhelming and they needed to go back to the agency for more names.
• Supply Drives are the easiest to implement, especially for school supplies. Deluxe stapled the check directly to the bag, and they were able to support 2 school districts. Deluxe also does cash challenges for disaster emergency drives.

Cheryl Thompson, Target Corporation, had this to say about their on-site volunteer projects.

• Blood, back-to-school supplies, and clothing drives require two types of volunteers; those who bring the product and those who help organize, sort and deliver the product. Target has also attempted new ways to promote drives. For instance, they worked with the Junior League to collect next-to-new professional clothing. During the Thanksgiving holiday, they solicited for food baskets rather than just a regular food drive.
• Like Deluxe Check, Target recommends to make sure you have plenty of families for adopt-a-family drives. Employees enjoy this activity.
• Target also supports e-mentoring.
• Catholic Charities at the Mall of America displays ornaments which lists a Christmas wish. Target employees volunteered to write the list on each ornament. This was easy to implement at the workplace and only required providing a conference room for employees to come during the lunch hour.
• Target employees volunteer to read essays (over 13,000) and select the best for State of Minnesota's National Center for Fathering.
• Target's international offices do volunteer activities at the workplace as well. For instance on "Take a Child to Work Day" they conduct classes with children and also invite children from local nonprofits to participate.
• Target has invited school children to their offices and employees read to them over the lunch hour.

Examples Judie Russell, Children's Home Society gave of workplace volunteer projects include:

• The Red Stocking Campaign which is the largest fundraiser for CHS. Stockings are filled with items and toys for children, and each stocking is also sponsored for additional fundraising. CHS welcomes the items be put into the stockings such as hand knit hats, mittens, scarves, Dr. Seuss Books, play dough, disposable cameras, journals, coloring books and infant needs.
• Company employees can call isolated seniors once a week to provide senior companionship. Or they can be Parenting Phone Pals and call new mothers once per week to exchange ideas.
• Electronic Support Services: CHS does not have a large IS department to meet the needs of the agency. Professional IS&T people are always welcomed to volunteer.
• CHS has a long-standing adopt-a-family opportunity. CHS has learned that delivery directly to families is most often accepted by the families. However, the families always have the option to remain anonymous.

Teresa Wiltz, Bundles of Love, explained her newly established nonprofit. Bundles of Love is a volunteer run organization dedicated to helping infants and families. Volunteer groups meet monthly to sew, knit and crochet essential clothing and blankets for premature and sick infants. Packages of infant necessities are then delivered to a number of local hospitals, community clinics and women shelters. Bundles of Love offers numerous ways a corporation could assist right at the workplace:

• Tear Flannel. Bundles of Love will provide the fabric. The company provides the labor. No sewing skills are necessary. Employees mark the correct length and tear the fabric into squares. Employees may sew them if they wish, but otherwise may just prepare the fabric for the correct size.
• Collection Drives are another possibility. Fabric, especially flannel, polar fleece, and quilt batting, and thread, are needed. Baby care items such as diapers, wipes, shampoo, lotion, pacifiers, teething rings, and other infant items are accepted. Cash donations are also appreciated.

If your company is looking to start workplace volunteer projects immediately, Catholic Charities has a need to supply 1,200 kids with back packs filled with school supplies. Contact Dan Narr at 612-664-8595 for details.

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